Secrets of the Past
by SsinurnSolen
Summary: Inyasha and Kagome deliver a staff to a hermit In Tomi Forest. Sesshomaru's Mate?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The recognizable characters appearing in this story are © Rumiko Takahashi, all rights reserved. They are used without permission and for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made by the author for writing this story. No infringement upon nor challenge to the rights of the copyright holders is intended; nor should any be inferred.  
  
She Who is Mourned  
  
Inuyasha lay back and looked at the sky. Kagome was late. He didn't know what else to expect. She always was late when she went through the well to study for her tests. If she was much later, he would have to go after her again.  
  
A sound began echoing through the breeze. Inuyasha sat up to see what could be making such a racket. Above the trees floated a three eyed cow. Totosai was coming towards Inuyasha.  
  
"What do you want old man?" Inuyasha blurted out, "Tetsusaiga is fine."  
  
"Oh, Inuyasha. I have something I need for you to deliver. I would do it myself, but your brother has been watching me much too closely."  
  
"I am not your delivery boy."  
  
"It is very important that this gets to its owner. You will understand when you reach her. Your journey must be kept a secret from your brother. He will do the owner of this great harm if he finds out."  
  
"You will not go away until I agree, will you?"  
  
"That I will not. Oh Kagome, you are here too."  
  
"Hello Totosai," Kagome said as she crawled from the well, "I heard part of what you said. I will make Inuyasha keep his word."  
  
"What! Kagome! I haven't agreed to anything yet!"  
  
"You will. I know you. Besides, Totosai may not repair Tetsusaiga next time if you don't."  
  
Inuyasha grumbled to himself.  
  
"What do you want us to deliver?" Kagome asked.  
  
"This," Totosai said as he pulled out a staff and handed it to Kagome.  
  
"Bah! You want us to deliver a stupid stick? How can that be so important?"  
  
"It is made from one of your father's teeth. I had it hidden and found it only yesterday. If Seshomaru knew about it, he would try to steal it, just like he did with Tetsaiga. And, he would find out a secret your father did not want him to know, for his own good."  
  
"Inuyasha, calm down. Totosai, where do you want it to be delivered to?"  
  
"It is on the path you must take to meet up with your friends, so I thought it would be no trouble. It is a small shrine outside of Tomi village. Give the staff to the hermit there, and you can go on your way. Deliver this staff, Saiminjutsu, to its proper owner."  
  
"What did my father want with a lonely hermit?"  
  
"She is no ordinary hermit. Your father cared for her very much. This was made to protect her. Now go. You are wasting time." Totosai said as he and his cow disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
"Feh, why do I have to be that old man's delivery boy?"  
  
"Oh Inuyasha, it is on our way. We don't have to go out of our way. I will keep it here with me. So, you are not the delivery boy, I will be the one delivering it."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said once more, "Lets get going."  
  
**********  
  
They traveled on a little used path towards Tomi Village. It winded its way deep inside a forest. It was dangerous because of the numerous lesser demons that resided there. The path was shorter, and Inuyasha wanted to get the 'stupid stick' to the hermit as quickly as possible.  
  
Suddenly, a young, disheveled youkai jumped out of the bushes brandishing a wooden rake.  
  
"What is your business here? Get away from here!"  
  
"You smell like ragweed, and that stupid rake is no match for this," Inuyasha said as he brandished his claws.  
  
The silver haired youth dropped the rake and flexed his claws as well.  
  
"I have claws too. You have no business here. I will not let you get anywhere near her. Leave her and me alone!"  
  
"What are you talking about you stupid pup? You are the one who attacked us."  
  
"Nintaishiro!" A voice called from within what looked like a large tree," I am fine. Get your tail to the spring and clean up! That is no way to treat guests."  
  
The youth sighed and said," Yes mother." as he ran back into the trees.  
  
A piece of bark from an enormous tree slid to the side. In the doorway stood a female youkai. Her long, silver hair had gold highlights throughout it. Her eyes were a pale shade of purple. She wore a simple, cream colored kimono with a gold sash.  
  
"I thought I knew that scent. It is good to see you again, Inuyasha itoko."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes grew wide," Murasaki! I thought you were dead!"  
  
"No, Inuyasha itoko. I was hidden here during the siege. You must forgive Nintashiro. I just came out of heat, and we have had several attacks of late. Come in. My hidden shrine has plenty of room, and it is getting dark."  
  
"I would be happy to, Murasaki itoko. Oh, this is Kagome. Kagome, this is Hitomi Murasaki, my cousin."  
  
"I am very pleased to meet you." Kagome said and bowed politely.  
  
"Since when do you have a son? I did not know you had mated." Inuyasha said as he and Kagome made their way into the shrine.  
  
"Blunt as ever I see. Yes, Inuyasha, I have a mate. Unfortunately, my mate and I are separated. Nintashiro has never seen his father. I have been at this shrine for so long, I am not sure my mate knows I am alive. We mated the night before the siege. His mind was so troubled when we mated, I am not even sure if he realized that he mated at all. It does not matter to me. I am happy. I loved him from the time I was very little. At least I have Nintashiro. He looks so much like his father."  
  
Inuyasha began to stare off into space as Murasaki continued her story. He was thinking about the night of the siege on his father's winter palace, the night when his mother was killed.  
  
"How did you escape?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Some of your father's servants smuggled me out. They knew of the importance of my escape. They tried to reach your mother as well, but they were too late. She had already been killed. Other servants searched for you, giving up their lives to make sure you got out alive as well."  
  
"Oh, I nearly forgot," Kagome said, " Totosai sent us here to give you this."  
  
Murasaki blushed slightly as she took the staff. As she studied the carvings on the side of it, she blushed even more.  
  
"What is the matter, Murasaki?"  
  
"I suppose neither of you realize what this is."  
  
"It is a staff. Totosai called it Saiminjutsu."  
  
"It is more than that, Inuyasha. This is a special kind of staff. It is a kekkon staff. It is given by the father of a groom to signify the acceptance of a bride into the family. If I challenge my mate with it, he will be forced to accept his child as an heir, even if he denies me as his only mate. This way, he may not kill me or my son without severely wounding his honor and position. I thought this had been lost in the siege."   
  
Inuyasha's eyes grew wide. "That was made from one of my father's fangs. That would mean your mate is.."  
  
"Seshomaru." Murasaki finished.  
  
Inuyasha let out a low growl and furrowed his brow.  
  
Nintashiro walked into the shrine, "Does this suffice, mother?"  
  
"Yes, Nintashiro, you look and smell much better. Nintashiro, this is your uncle, Inuyasha, and his kanojo aisuru, Kagome."  
  
"She is not my kanojo!" Inuyasha yelped out.  
  
"Really? That is not the way I smell it."  
  
"I have to agree with mother, uncle."  
  
"Baka! She is just a miko who is helping me to find the shards of the shikon no tama."  
  
"A miko, hmm, I wondered why you smelled so familiar. I am a miko as well, a prized rarity among my kind. It is what makes me so valuable to any youkai who snoops around here."  
  
"Oh, I see, so that is why Inuyasha's father kept you hidden from Seshomaru."  
  
"No, actually, my mating to Seshomaru was arranged by his father and my grandmother, when the two of us were only pups. My grandmother and Inutaisho were brother and sister. Seshomaru had feelings for me, I am certain, but he resented the fact that our mating was arranged. He also began resenting it when he discovered I was a miko. He felt our arranged marriage was simply to strengthen Inutaisho's bloodline. He resented that his feelings were not taken into consideration. "  
  
"His feelings! Seshomaru is cold and heartless. His only care is to bring death to anyone who stands in his way."  
  
"Please do not speak ill of my father. I can not stand it when mother starts crying in her sleep. "  
  
"Your brother does have feelings, Inuyasha, but they have been buried because of all of the pain and hardship he had to endure. First there was the death of his mother right in front of his eyes. Then seeing my family's estate ransacked and burnt to the ground. Then all of the scars of the battlefield. And on top of that, he resented Inutaisho for mating with your mother. He felt very left out, as if his mother was being completely replaced and forgotten. When you were born, he felt as if he was being replaced by you in his father's heart. It devastated him. I was his only friend and confidant. Yet, he felt he was trapped around me as well, because of our mating arrangement."  
  
"Yet he mated with you anyway."  
  
"Yes, but it is not as simple as that. He was asleep and having a nightmare. I snuck into his apartments to try and sooth him. I kissed him while he slept. He quickly rolled over, marked and mated with me. His eyes never opened. I believe he was still asleep when he did it. His nightmares were so intense at that time that he had trouble waking from them. When he settled down peacefully, I went back to my apartments. The siege happened early that morning. I never got a chance to tell him we had mated, or that I was with pup. When Nintashiro was born, your father's servants who still looked in on me from time to time, told me it was best not to see Seshomaru. They feared that because of his coldness, he would be angry and kill us both, before he realized what he was doing. "  
  
"Feh, he would not care. He has been trying to kill me for years."  
  
"Perhaps, but things have changed now that I have Saiminjutsu. It channels my miko powers, and will protect me and Nintashiro. Perhaps, if he sees me with it, his cold shell will fall away and he will be his old self again. You may not know this, Inuyasha, but your brother is really a kind and loving person. He is very much his father's son in that respect."  
  
"Mother, forgive me for interrupting, but, what is for dinner?"  
  
"Nintashiro, must you always think with your stomach?"  
  
"I am a growing boy, mother."  
  
"Feh, and I am tired of all this melodramatic talk of my brother."  
  
"Very well. I have some dried fish, eggs, and flour. I can make a noodle soup. Then we should all get some sleep. I am sure we can talk about more pleasant subjects tomorrow."  
  
"I will help you, Murasaki."  
  
"Thank you, Kagome. It will give me a chance to talk to you. There are just some things that men will never understand."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said and kept silent.  
  
Notes:  
  
Translations --  
  
Itoko- Cousin  
  
kanojo aisuru- beloved girlfriend 


	2. Half the Battle is Knowing the Game

Half the Battle is Knowing the Game  
  
Nintashiro stared at Inuyasha. Inuyasha became annoyed, and turned his back on the youth.  
  
"So you're my uncle."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha replied, " Your mother gave you an interesting name." Still facing away from the boy.  
  
"Oh, well, yes. I would have never guessed you were the type to play Shio-ghi. You look more like a warrior."  
  
"I am a warrior." Inuyasha said as he turned back around to face Nintashiro, " I do not play Shio-ghi or petty noble politics. I am, although, aware of what the pieces are called. My mother tried to teach me when I was little."  
  
"You think my name has to do with some political game?"  
  
"Baka, I am surprised you don't."  
  
"Hmm, lets see. Father would be the Sho, mother the Kin, I'm the Hisha of course. Ah, I see now. Kagome is the Kaku and you are the Ka-Ma. Thank you uncle, you have cleared that up. But, who are we fighting? Who is controlling the other side of the board? Who is the other Sho?"  
  
Nintashiro's summation of the various Shio-ghi pieces caught Inuyasha off guard. The boy was smart, very smart.   
  
Inuyasha pondered and realized that Sango was the Ghin and Miroku was the Nari-Kaku. The Nari-Hisha could be Kouga. Anyone else who was along with them were Fu and Hio in the game.  
  
"Uncle, are you alright?"  
  
"Naraku" Inuyasha replied.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"The one controlling the other side of the board, is Naraku."  
  
  
  
**********  
  
"There, you see Kagome, you flour the strand, stretch it, flour it again, then fold and repeat. Keep repeating the process until the noodles are the size you want, then , when the greased plate is very hot, cut off the ends, brown the noodles, then put them in the water pot to boil."  
  
"I did not realize ramen was so easy to make. No wonder it is so cheap."  
  
"You will make Inuyasha a wonderful wife someday."  
  
"What? Oh I'm sorry I think you have misunderstood. Inuyasha and I are just friends." Kagome replied, her face growing flush.  
  
"Like I said earlier, that is not what I smell. You are in love with him. Admit it. It is alright now if you are too self conscious to admit it to him, but I am a girl. I have been through the same thing. You can say it to me. I will reveal nothing. Girls need to have their secrets. Don't you agree?"  
  
"I.. I suppose so. Yes, I do love Inuyasha, but he loves someone else. It's complicated."  
  
"I see. Oh well, he will come around. Give it time. After all, he had already put his affection scent mark on you."  
  
"He has what!?"  
  
"Oh, I forget, you are not a youkai or a hanyou. You might not be aware of it. Has Inuyasha taken you into his arms, held you tightly then simply nuzzled your neck or your ear or both with his chin?"  
  
"Well, yes. He has done that a few times."  
  
"He may not be aware of what he was doing. He was very young when he was separated from his parents. That nuzzling motion mixes the heavy skin oils on his chin with the heavy skin oils on your neck or ear or chin. The skin oils mix and sink deep into the skin, where the mixed scent stays. It identifies the two as close friends, more or less. When picking up the scent, it can tell a demon if the person coming towards them is friend or foe. Since he has nuzzled you more than once, it is obvious that his feelings for you run deep, whether he likes to admit it or not."  
  
"Oh, alright. I can accept that. Tell me. How is it that you are both a youkai and a miko. I would think the two would cancel each other out."  
  
"Not all demons are evil, and not all men are good. Purification and healing powers can take many forms. With me, sometimes it is a curse. I can purify a patient and the person become more evil. It does not happen often, but it does happen. Many years ago, a human man came to my shrine here for healing and purification. It turned out that he had little good in him. He was trying to ensnare me in one of his plots. When I purified him, he became more evil instead of having the evil purged. He frightened me so much that I used my powers to put a permanent mark on his back. Any time that evil human comes near, I can sense his mark. He will never rid himself of it, even if he dies. Purification is not my best power anyway. My powers more go towards repulsing the undead and healing the possessed, than to just purification."  
  
"Mine, well mine seem to center around the shikon no tama. "  
  
"That makes sense. It is part of your heart after all. Once it is completed, you have the power to accept or deny any wish made upon it. All mikos possess a shikon of some sort in their hearts. It is part of what makes us mikos."  
  
"I never realized that before. I suppose it should be obvious, but I did not think of it."  
  
"Well, dinner is almost done. We should get it out to those two before they decide to come in here and bite our ears off."  
  
**********  
  
Inuyasha and Nintashiro were still discussing how the rules of Shio-ghi applied to the current state of affairs when Kagome and Murasaki came in with the food.  
  
"It makes sense, doesn't it uncle. In order to take over the world, you should start by taking the least hospitable lands and move from there. The western lands, because of the power of the youkai are the least hospitable. Seshomaru is Lord of the Western Lands. This Naraku must have father as one of his ultimate targets."  
  
"Feh, Naraku does not care which land he conquers first, as long as he has the shikon no tama. As I told you, he aided Seshomaru at first."  
  
"But it makes sense, get close and conquer the Sho, then the Sho will conquer his own pieces. "  
  
"I was unaware that you still played Shio-ghi, Inuyasha. You used to love to play that with me and your mother when you were little."  
  
"I don't. "  
  
"Oh, well it is good that you and Nintashiro are getting along. I am positive he enjoys having company. We get so little of it these days."  
  
"It is time to eat." Kagome said.  
  
"This is delicious, Lady Kagome. Mother does so much better when she has help. Thank you for helping lift her spirits."  
  
"I am glad to. Your mother is a very nice lady."  
  
Nintashiro smiled as he finished up the last of his soup.  
  
"We should be getting to sleep," Inuyasha said," We need to get up early tomorrow."  
  
"Alright," Murasaki replied as she gathered up the dishes and showed Kagome where the futons were kept.  
  
**********  
  
Late that evening, Inuyasha awoke to the sound of a flute. He went outside to see where it was coming from. He found Murasaki on a high branch of the tree, playing the flute.   
  
"I am sorry, Inuyasha, I did not mean to wake you. I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Its alright. You play the flute very well. The tune is romantic, but sad."  
  
Murasaki pointed up to the sky where a crescent moon hung in the sky.  
  
"Feh, now I see."  
  
"This is a lover's flute, in particular, the female flute. Sesshomaru has the male flute. When played together, the song is beautiful, but apart, it sounds lonely. Your father gave us these flutes when our mating was first arranged. Tell me, does Sesshomaru still have the male flute tied to his obi?"  
  
"It was there the last time I saw him. I kept my distance. I did not realize that's what it was until you mentioned it just now."  
  
"Then there is still hope. Sometimes, when I play this flute, I feel that I can sense his thoughts. He turns his mind to me and then he mourns. I think he thinks the thoughts are just the feelings in his memory welling up. He still believes that I am dead."  
  
"That may be a good thing for you. You may still see him as kind and loving, but now he is just bitter and heartless. You would not know him anymore."  
  
"I see. But, I still have hope. That loving person is still inside of him, even if he has buried it deep."  
  
"You will have a long way to dig. I am going back down to get some sleep. Kagome and I are on our way to meet with some friends. We shouldn't leave them waiting."  
  
"Good night Inuyasha."  
  
"Good night, Murasaki."  
  
**********  
  
Notes:  
  
Shio-ghi- Japanese High chess: Sho- King; Kin- Queen; Hisha and Nari-Hisha- Rooks(castles); Kaku and Nari-Kaku- Bishops; Ka-Ma and Ghin- Knights; Fu and Hio- Pawns  
  
Nintashiro means strong castle or castle that perserveres.  
  
Hitomi Murasaki means purple eyes (because that is what color her eyes are)  
  
Please Review 


	3. Jaken's Discovery

Jaken's Discovery  
  
Early that morning, Kagome awoke to strange sounds outside of the shrine.  
  
"Shh," Nintashiro said as he looked intently at Kagome.  
  
"What is the matter?" Kagome whispered.  
  
"A group of demons have gathered not far from the shrine. Inuyasha and mother are outside in the trees, watching them. So far, they seem to have no interest in the shrine at all. They look like they are setting up an ambush for someone. Mother wants to make sure the shrine is not detected. She had me stay here to protect you."  
  
"What if they are going to ambush our friends, they were supposed to meet us in Tomi Village."  
  
"That is why Inuyasha is out there. Now stay quiet. We do not know how well these demons can hear. If they are Oni, they might detect us."  
  
**********  
  
"Rin, Rin, come back here." Jaken bellowed as he walked on the path. "Rin, you should not run off like that. Sesshomaru sama will have my head. Rin, where are you? It is dangerous here. These woods are known to contain Oni. Sesshomaru will kill me if one of those soul stealers gets their hands on you!"  
  
Rin jumped out from the trees and yelled, "boo," at Jaken.  
  
He jumped and started to run when Rin's laughter made him turn around.  
  
"You are funny, Jaken."  
  
"This is not a place to play. Demons that do not ally themselves with youkai, live here. They are dangerous. " Jaken sputtered out, but Rin ignored him and skipped along the path.  
  
Jaken followed the girl and hoped that they reached the other side of this accursed place quickly. Sesshomaru was supposed to meet them in the meadows past the village on the other side of this forest.   
  
***********  
  
Murasaki held her staff in one hand as she perched on the tree above the demons.  
  
"What do you smell?" Inuyasha faintly whispered.  
  
"Several LuNat, two henge-youkai, a couple of hanyou, an Oni, and a Tengu The tengu seems to be the leader. Wait, I smell a human, a small one, followed by a Toad. Those two could be what these inferiors are trying to trap."  
  
"Toad? What kind?"  
  
"Let's see. Water Toad, The scent is familiar, but I can not place it."  
  
Inuyasha sniffed in the direction that Murasaki was pointing.  
  
"Jaken, its Jaken. The human must be Rin. Feh, let them get caught."  
  
"Jaken? How can you say that, Inuyasha. You loved to play together with him when you were little."  
  
"He works for Sesshomaru. My brother must be the real target."  
  
Murasaki jumped and landed in front of the demon bandits.  
  
"Youkai," The tengu chirped out at her. "This is none of your business."  
  
"These lands belong to me. That makes it my business. Leave now, or die."  
  
"One Hanyou against all of us, don't make me laugh." The Oni boomed out.  
  
"You were warned, " Murasaki said as she firmly planted the staff in front of her with her left hand. She extended her right arm out to the side and began scissoring her fingers.  
  
"Fa ma ra Ka!" she repeated several times. With each chant of the sutra, the staff began to glow. Energy shot out from the staff, disintegrating most of the demons in the path. Within a matter of moments, only the tengu and one henge-yokai were left.   
  
The tengu began pleading with Murasaki for its life. The henge-youkai ran off into the forest where Inuyasha was quickly able to kill it.  
  
"Oh, Queen of Tomi Forest, please forgive this tengu for trespassing on your lands. We were sent here by another. We do not want you, we are seeking a traveler through your forest, oh great queen." The tengu chirped.  
  
Murasaki grabbed the tengu by its wing," And what traveler were you seeking? You must know that all who travel her are under my protection."  
  
"Oh great queen of the Tomi Forest. We seek a one armed youkai. He travels with a toad and a girl. That is all I know, honest!"  
  
"Who dares send his servants on my land without my permission."  
  
"The great conquerer, Naraku. Please, let me go. Better, let me stay here and serve you! If Naraku's insects see me confessing, I am dead for sure! Please oh please, great queen of Tomi Forest! Spare my life! I promise to serve you until I die."  
  
"Do you swear on all of your ancestors and your offspring?"  
  
"Yesss great queen of Tomi Forest, I swear on all of my ancestors, their guardians, and my chicks! Please, let me live! I am called Tomoaki."  
  
Murasaki touched the head of the staff to the tengu's head.  
  
"You are now fully bound by your oath, Tomoaki You are to be my servant. Now go, patrol the woods. When you find those travelers. Bring them here." She said as she leapt to a tree above."  
  
"I will do as my mistress bids."  
  
**********  
  
Once the henge-youkai was dead, Inuyasha looked up to hear a faint buzzing sound. He did not know where the bees were, because of the thick foliage, but he knew those bees belonged to Naraku. He headed back to the shrine.   
  
"This is going from bad to worse," he said to himself.  
  
**********  
  
Murasaki made a series of taps on the tree. Once done, Nintashiro opened the door.  
  
"Are you alright, mother?"  
  
"I am fine."  
  
"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.  
  
"He ran off after a henge-youkai. He should be back shortly. Kagome, do your friends travel with a Kitsune and a LiLung?"  
  
"What are henge-youkai, and what is a Lilung? My friends do travel with a Kitsune."  
  
"A henge-youkai is a youkai who is wild born, one with no house and no knowledge of their parentage. A LiLung is actually decended of dragons. It takes the form of a shape shifting cat demon. They are known to be kind and benevolent to kind beings, vicious to evil ones."  
  
"Oh you must mean Kirara. Yes , my friends travel with a Kitsune and a LiLung."  
  
"They are headed in this direction. Three humans, one badly hurt, a Kitsune, and a LiLung"  
  
"They must be bringing someone for you to heal, Murasaki. The ones Inuyasha and me were traveling with only consisted of two humans."  
  
"That may be so. Well then, I must prepare. You go ahead back inside. I smell Inuyasha making his way back here. Jaken is coming closer as well. I hope Inuyasha does not plan to start his feud here. This forest reacts to violence. Most of the trees, including the shrine tree, are sentient and alive. I will inform you when your friends get here. I need to stay close, so Jaken does not get hurt."  
  
"Alright." Kagome replied as she slid the door shut.  
  
**********  
  
Inuyasha came into view shortly after the door slid shut.  
  
"Easy hunting?"  
  
"Feh, I don't know why you needed my help. You handled most of them by yourself."  
  
"I was not sure if I could. This is the first time I have used Saiminjutsu. I was not sure how well it would channel my powers. Normally, it would take me an hour or more to dispatch that many demons. Most of the time, I need Nintashiro's help. "  
  
"Tell me something. It is clear he has inherited much of his father, has he inherited…" Inuyasha tried to say.   
  
"I have suspected he has some of my miko powers as well. He hides it, but I can smell some of it on him. That is another reason we stay hidden here. A Youkai miko is very rare, but a MALE with the powers…"  
  
"Is nearly unheard of. Some say, impossible." Inuyasha finished.  
  
"It could be because Sesshomaru and me are cousins. Mind you, we have only one relative between us, and the bloodline is far enough removed for problems, but.."  
  
"You are saying that he could have inherited it from both of you! Feh, Sesshomaru has no powers like that, and neither do I."  
  
"Are you sure? Perhaps why you and Kagome have a mutual scent has less to do with your affection mark, and more to do with your powers. Your latent miko-like powers."  
  
"You are talking nonsense. I have NO miko powers."  
  
"Are you sure? Tell me have you done anything, and I mean the smallest anything, that indicates you have a power that purely does not come from your demon side?"  
  
Inuyasha thought for a moment, "Feh, no. Nothing. Baka, why would I?" he said, but he was not so sure himself.  
  
Tomoaki came into view with Rin giggling and dancing behind him.  
  
"Birdie, come here birdie!"  
  
"Oh queen of Tomi Forest, I have brought this traveler to you. The other one his in the trees. I will fetch him for you, I will." the tengu said as he took to the air.  
  
"Don't go birdie," Rin said sullenly, until she saw Murasaki, whose back was facing the girl.  
  
"Sesshomaru sama!" The girl yelled, run and flung her arms around Murasaki's leg.  
  
"Baka! Murasaki, you get inside. That tengu is back, and he is bringing your enemy right to your door!"  
  
Rin looked up to see the demon she had grabbed onto was not her Sesshomaru sama.  
  
"Oh, hello pretty lady." she said as Murasaki reached down and stroked the child's head lovingly.  
  
"Inuyasha, you get inside. The tengu is now under my control. If you do not want to see Jaken, you do not have to. I will talk to him out here. Keep your anger in your ghi, and go inside."  
  
"Feh! Inuyasha said as he slid the door to the side and entered the shrine."  
  
"So, little one, why are you wandering alone in my forest? It is dangerous here. If my friend, the bird, had not found you, you could have been hurt very badly."  
  
"You are a nice lady. You are like Sesshomaru sama. You would not let me get hurt."  
  
"True, but I wouldn't want to be too late to help you."  
  
"Jaken is with me. I am not alone."  
  
Murasaki's face brightened, "I am right, Sesshomaru is still the kind one I remember. There is hope." She thought to herself.  
  
"Where is Jaken?" Murasaki asked Rin.  
  
"He is silly. He is afraid of the birdie. The birdie won't hurt him."  
  
"I know, but Jaken gets scared easy. You will have to be a big strong girl, and help him not be afraid. If you help him not be afraid, he can protect you better."  
  
The sound of Jaken bellowing at Tomoaki came to Murasaki's ears.  
  
"Get back here you stupid bird and tell me where you took Rin" Jaken commanded as he came into view.  
  
Tomoaki was squawking and flying circles above Jaken as Jaken tried to hit him with his staff.  
  
"Jaken!." Rin squealed as she ran to him, " I found a nice lady. Come here Jaken. Come see the nice lady!"  
  
"Girl, this is no time to be playing. I need to get rid of this tengu."  
  
"Tomoaki," Murasaki commanded, "go find a place near for a suitable nest. I will call you when you are needed."  
  
"Oh yes, great Queen." he said as he flew off.  
  
Jaken looked up at Murasaki and screamed," Oh ho, ho! Rin, run! It's a ghost, an evil spirit!"  
  
"Now that is not a very nice thing to say, Jaken. After all it has been years since we saw each other last."  
  
"Mu .. Mu.. Murasaki! It can't be. You are dead! You died the night Master InuTaitio's winter palace was attacked."  
  
"Calm down, Jaken. I am not a ghost and I am not dead. If you talked to any of the other of my great uncle's servants that survived, you would know that."  
  
"Oh! Murasaki sama! Lord Sesshomaru will be so happy to see you live!"  
  
"See Jaken, she is a nice lady." Rin added.  
  
"Jaken, where is Sesshomaru?" She said as her face became sullen.  
  
"We are going to meet him in the meadows on the other side of Tomi Village. You should come. He will be so pleased to know you live."  
  
"I can't leave this forest, not yet. I have responsibilities. Besides, I am not sure Sesshomaru will want to see me. I do not want him to feel trapped, by our mating arrangement. Besides, I did something awful to him. I still have not forgiven myself, so how can I expect him to forgive me?"  
  
"Oh, Lady Murasaki, that is not true. He thinks of you. He does not say it, but he still keeps the flute tied to his obi. Perhaps seeing you alive will help to end the feud he has with his brother. Part of the reason he fights Lord Inuyasha is out of frustration. He thinks the servants left you to die while they saved his brother. He thinks that their actions to save a hanyou over his noble youkai bride was inexcusable."  
  
Murasaki smiled and began to shed tears. "Thank you, Jaken. I can not go to him just yet, but please tell him to come visit me soon. This forest is lonely."  
  
"I will do that, Lady Murasaki. Come Rin, Sesshomaru sama is waiting for us."  
  
"Goodbye nice lady!"  
  
"Goodbye, sweet child, and Jaken."  
  
**********  
  
Nintashiro hid in a nearby tree and listened to the conversation between his mother and Jaken.  
  
"How could you, mother?" He thought to himself, "It is time I show her that I am a man and not a little boy anymore."  
  
As Jaken and Rin continued along the path, Nintashiro followed. He made sure to keep himself carefully hidden. Nintashiro wanted to see his father, and no one, not even his beloved mother, was going to stop him this time.   
  
He was so intent on secretly following Jaken, that he did not notice the large bee-like creature following him.  
  
**********  
  
Notes:  
  
Oni- Spirit demons that can reach up to eight feet tall. They are, evil, bloodthirsty and are known for their exceptional hearing.  
  
LuNat- A small, malicious, spirit demon that wanders near carnage. They are known to create and spread plauges and disease over entire villages. They are not bright and are willing to sell their services to any who promise them the type of food they desire.  
  
Tengu- Demons which look like a cross between a human and a crow. Their heads often take the form of crow heads, but sometimes have human-like heads. They known for their wit,wisdom, and shrewd trickery. They are fierce warriors, but prefer to negotiate a battle rather than fighting.  
  
**Tomoaki- the name means, autumn friend**  
  
Please Review 


	4. For a Son

For a Son  
  
Sesshomaru hid among a small copse of trees watching a group of human women gather flowers on the field. He had no concern for the humans. He wished they would go away before Jaken and Rin arrived.  
  
He fingered the flute tied to his obi. He was having nightmares again. The nightmares made him feel weak, and he could not have that. The memory of HER, the morning of the siege on his father's winter palace. He remembered running to her apartments to find them splattered with blood. Some of the blood was hers. He could not tell which of the bits and pieces were part of her. The attackers had rended all of the bodies into pieces so small, it was hard to tell what piece belonged to whom. Some of the demons had devoured their prey whole. While others spun webbing around their drugged prey and carried them off to devour later. He had managed to kill all the enemy remaining in her rooms.  
  
They were the same demons who had razed HER family's estate to the ground, leaving her an orphan. He had saved her then. The dokufu had allied themselves with Inutaisho's enemies, who were angered at his betrothal to her.  
  
"Why do these memories come back to haunt me now. I have no need to dwell on the past."  
  
He thought of Rin. Why had he been so kind to that human child? He had one of those nightmares the night before he found her. Rin's eyes, and her smile reminded him of HER. He had hoped that having Rin around would help him to rid himself of these painful memories. He was wrong. They were only getting worse.  
  
He turned his nose to smell the air.  
  
"Perhaps this was not a good place to reunite with them, I still smell Naraku somewhere near."  
  
Sesshomaru looked across the meadow at an outcropping of rocks. He could have sworn he saw movement there.   
  
"That is where one of Naraku's dolls is hiding." He said to himself as he slowly crept among the trees towards the outcropping.  
  
There was something about Naraku's scent that reminded him of those demons from so long ago. He remembered as he woke to find the female dokufu standing over his bed, its fangs dripping with the vile poison. It had crept into his bedchamber, hoping to implant one of its fertilized eggs into Sesshomaru's abdomen before he could wake. He killed the demon with his claws before it could use its stinger on him.   
  
Many of his father's servants became hosts to dokufu eggs, eaten alive from the inside once the hatchling burrowed out.  
  
Sesshomaru shook himself so he could concentrate on what he was doing. He had to find where Naraku was before Jaken arrived.  
  
**********  
  
Rin skipped along the path with Jaken close behind. She stopped when the path forked in two directions. One path was narrow and nearly overgrown.  
  
"Jaken, which way do we go?"  
  
"We need to go on the narrow path on the right. The left path leads to the village. Sesshomaru will not be in the village. The other one goes around, leading to the meadow. That is where Sesshomaru waits for us."  
  
"All right. I want to get to see Sesshomaru sama. Lets take the right path."  
  
"That is what I just said."  
  
Nintashiro saw which path they were taking, and knew exactly where it lead. He knew of a shortcut to the meadow they were heading. He would be able to see his father soon. He was nearly giddy with anticipation.  
  
**********  
  
Kagome sat outside the shrine with Murasaki. Murasaki was instructing her on various types of demons, and the best ways to attack them.  
  
"So many of the trees here are homes to bisan. Bisan are tree dryads and tricksters that often take the forms of green or brown wasps."  
  
"Partially right, Kagome, bisan and the tree are mates. The tree being the male, the bisan the female. They are not evil, but some do get mean spirited if someone harms their mate. The shrine itself was once the home of a bisan. The bisan was injured and I helped to care for her. Out of gratitude, the shrine tree made a home for me. The bisan, sadly, died of her injuries, but I made sure her body was enshrined in the tree. Her spirit watches over her mate and over me, because of my kindness."  
  
"Perhaps that wasp you heard, Inuyasha, while you killed the henge-youkai, was one of the forest bisan. I have not sensed Naraku, any of his demons, or any of the shards near here. "  
  
"Feh, I know what I smelled and I know what I heard, and it was no bisan. Bisan smell like honey or like that maple syrup you brought back with you when you wanted to show me what pancakes were."  
  
"Inuyasha, Kagome, what kind of demon is this Naraku. I have never heard the name. Although I must admit, I do not hear much. This shrine is pretty isolated."  
  
"He's a hanyou, but he was once human. He took demons into his body when he was badly injured, and remade himself with their essence. He grows stronger by repeating the process." Kagome said.  
  
"What does he look like? I need to know in case he comes to threaten this place."  
  
"He looks human, but he wears the skins of a baboon. When he takes the skins off, he has black hair. On his back is a huge red tattoo of a spider, that he has never rid himself of."  
  
Murasaki's eyes grew wide and she started to shake and whimper uncontrollably.  
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
"Inuyasha, I know you were very young, but do you remember the siege when you lost your mother?"  
  
**********  
  
Nintashiro reached the meadow well ahead of Rin and Jaken. The side he was on was riddled with rocky outcroppings. It is why the humans built the road around. None could jump or climb high enough to reach the clearing. Nintashito had no problem jumping from rock to rock. He had done this many times before. He loved the flowers in the meadow. He considered it a retreat from all of the work his mother constantly made him do. There, he could practice the sword without her scrutinizing his every move. He felt at peace there. Now, his father, whom he had never met, was going to be there, where he always felt such joy.  
  
Naraku waited in his baboon skin coat for the youth that was heading his direction. He cursed himself for not realizing the youkai was Sesshomaru's son. If he had, he would have made this move much sooner. Making the move now was dangerous, but he was willing to take that risk.  
  
**********  
  
"I don't remember, Murasaki. My mother was killed, and some youkai servant of father dragged me off. That's all I remember."  
  
Murasaki let out a deep sigh, "Perhaps it is good you don't remember what happened. You were so young, and it was so horrible to see. But in light of what you have just told me about this Naraku, I am sorry, but I must remind you of it."  
  
"Feh, almost everyone was killed, what else does it matter."  
  
"It was the night I mated with Sesshomaru, the night Nintashiro was conceived. I could not sleep after our mating. Because Sesshomaru was sleeping, he was unaware how hard he bit my neck. I ached all over, partially because of the loss of my virginity, and partially because of the bruise that welled on my neck from the rough bite. I bled all over my bed sheets before I could get it to stop. I could not sleep, so I went to the springs, outside your mother's apartments to bathe and soothe my aches. As I got out of the warm water and dressed, I heard a clicking sound and smelled something that did not fit in that place. It smelled of moldy earth and stone. I saw a ragged old man enter your mother's apartments. The old man did not see me because I was not supposed to be there. The clicking sound got louder and I heard your mother scream. I ran into her bedchamber. She was standing with an oil lamp, waving it in front of an enormous spider that seemed to be made of stone. You, Inuyasha, were standing in a corner trying to hide behind a small screen. Several of your father's servants, who heard the scream came in to try and help your mother. The spider knocked the lamp out of your mother's hand, opened its enormous mouth and swallowed her whole. You screamed and started towards the spider. I grabbed you and ran out the door. Several servants clamored around us and whisked us away from the palace. The palace was covered with those spider demons. They were allies of your father's enemies. While your father was off fighting on the front, the spider demons, dokufu, invaded the palace to kill everyone there. I tried to escape, to run back to the palace to find Sesshomaru, but you clung to me, begging me not to leave. Do you understand me, Inuyasha. It was ME who saved your life, not just some servant of your father."  
  
Inuyasha stared at Murasaki in a daze. Although his face remained rigid, tears were freely flowing down his cheeks.  
  
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, seeing the deep state of shock that Inuyasha was in.  
  
"Mother, mother," he said in a childlike voice.   
  
"Why did you tell him this!" Kagome said angrily, " What does this have to do with Naraku!"  
  
"Some of the servants of Inutaitio had been infected by female dokufu. Female dokufu have a stinger that allows them to deposit eggs into a host. The stinger has a healing substance in it. If a victim is asleep, and it places the egg in the abdomen, the wound heals, without the victim knowing he is infected. The servants insisted that Inuyasha and me be separated, in case the dokufu give chase. In reality, the infected servants were separating us to make us easier to kill. In a matter of weeks, dokufu burst out of the servants' abdomens. I ran for my life.   
  
Shortly after Nintashiro was born, a man called Onigumo came to me. He told me he had been infected by a dokufu. He begged me to help him remove the egg before it hatched, then heal and purify him. I did as he asked. It turned out that Onigumo was a servant of the dokufu. He had been sent to find me. He tried to kill me. I used my powers to mark him with a tattoo of a spider on his back. He ran off shortly after that. It is part of the power of a dokufu egg to absorb a demon host. The dofuku is what gave him the ability to do that."  
  
Kagome's eyes went wide.  
  
Inuyasha went over to Murasaki and fell into her arms. "don't leave me," he said in a childlike voice.  
  
**********  
  
Nintashiro crept up on the meadow. He saw a group of squealing human girls playing among the flowers. He sniffed around , trying to catch what could be his father's scent. What assaulted his nose smelt like dead, rotting demon. He jumped into the meadow, to scare the girls off. As he leapt, something grabbed his ankle and coiled around it, forcing him to nearly land on his face. He raised his head to see a silver haired youkai stand up in full view.  
  
"Sesshomaru," The demon who had Nintashiro by the leg shouted," If you want this whelp to live, you will lay down your weapons. "  
  
"What is that whelp to me?" Sesshomaru replied.  
  
Nintashiro struggled against the tentacles that were winding around him. He grabbed his sword and hacked away at a few of them.   
  
"Sesshomaru! Help me! Please, Father! Help me! FATHER!"  
  
Sesshomaru looked at the youngster that was a near copy of himself, except for the boy's eyes. They were HER eyes. He stood there, slightly stunned. It could not be. It had to be a trick. Was it possible?  
  
"PLEASE, FATHER! HELP ME! "  
  
Sesshomaru reacted before he could think. Was this the answer the nightmares were trying to tell him?  
  
"Naraku! Get away from that boy! "  
  
**********  
  
  
  
Please review. 


	5. The Truth Behind Strange Nightmares

The Truth Behind Strange Nightmares  
  
Sango walked along the path with an injured girl in her arms. She knew that it would probably be easier for Miroku to carry the girl, but she did not want the lecher to fondle the injured girl  
  
The girl had been bitten by a lu-nat. the healers of the village refused to help the girl for fear the disease would spread to them. Sango Knew that lu-nats could create plagues, but the illness this girl sustained could not be spread by trying to heal her.   
  
An old woman had told them of a hermit with miko powers that lived in Tomi Forest. Sango agreed to take the girl to the hermit. They could meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha later. This girl's need was much more urgent.  
  
"How much further, my feet hurt." Shippo whined.  
  
"Not too much, I think. The old woman said we would be close when we reached a fork in the path. I can see the other path off to the left. We should reach the fork shortly."  
  
"Good. Kiara is tired too." Shippo added.  
  
"At least the view is nice," Miroku said as he slowly inched closer behind Sango.  
  
"Shippo, will you claw Miroku for me if he gets too close?"  
  
Shippo answered with a giggle as Miroku settled back to his former pace.  
  
**********  
  
Slowly, Inuyasha's nerves began to calm. He sat up. Flashes of the memory of his mother being swallowed by the spider demon ran through his mind.  
  
"I am sorry, Inuyasha, but, I felt you deserved to know the truth. You are a good person. It is better that the past be told, then have it flash in front of you. As it often does, during the most inopportune time."  
  
"I am sorry I yelled at you, Murasaki."  
  
"It's alright. Why don't you adjust the way you are sitting so Inuyasha can lay his head in your lap? I can have Nintashiro pull out a futon for Inuyasha to rest on for a bit. I will go gather some herbs to help him steady himself. Is that alright with you, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha simply nodded and did as Murasaki had suggested.  
  
Murasaki went to the door of the shrine and called out for Nintashiro. She was puzzled when she got no answer.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked.  
  
"No, Nintashiro is not in the shrine. He must be finishing up clearing the ragweed away from the bisan tree sapling we found last week. He was on his way back from doing so when he saw you yesterday."  
  
"I will watch Inuyasha while you go look. He does not mind laying on my lap." Kagome replied  
  
Murasaki made a sweet smile as she made her way in the direction of the bisan tree sapling.  
  
**********  
  
"S… S.. Sango."  
  
"What's the matter, Shippo?"  
  
"I smell youkai. It smells kind of like Sesshomaru around here." Shippo said as they passed the fork in the path.  
  
"The old woman did say that this forest was full of demons, that is why the villagers rarely travel this way." Miroku said.  
  
"You're right, Miroku. We should find the shrine the old woman spoke of. I do not relish the thought of fighting while this girl's life is already in danger."  
  
They quickened their pace along the path.  
  
About fifteen minutes later, they saw Kagome sitting on the grass with Inuyasha's head in her lap.  
  
"Kagome! We had not expected to see you here in the forest." Miroku said.  
  
Shippo ran to Inuyasha. He tried to kick his head off of Kagome's lap, but she stopped the fox demon.  
  
"Shippo, be nice. Inuyasha is not feeling well. You can sit on my lap later."  
  
"Kagome, where is the hermit who lives here?" Sango asked, seeing the shrine, "This girl needs her help."  
  
"Oh, Murasaki. She has gone off to look for Nintashiro. What is the matter with that girl?"  
  
"She was bitten by a lu-nat."  
  
"Oh, I know what to do. Murasaki just taught me." Kagome said as she slowly nudged Inuyasha off of her lap.   
  
She ran into the shrine to get some herbs. Shippo ran after her, but halted.  
  
"Shippo? What is the matter?"  
  
"This is a demon's house! I smell it all over!"  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said, regaining some of his wits," Of course it is. Murasaki is my cousin."  
  
Inuyasha picked up a small stone and threw it at Shippo.  
  
"Your cousin?" both Miroku and Sango said in unison.  
  
"Full demon?" Sango added.  
  
"Yes, full demon. You don't have to worry about her. She's not like my other relative. She saved my life when I was little."  
  
"And ," Kagome added as she stepped out of the shrine to administer help to the sick girl, "She knows more about Naraku's past than anyone else. Meeting her has proven to be a great help."  
  
Sango and Miroku looked at each other.  
  
"I will explain," Inuyasha said sullenly as he tried to repeat what Murasaki had told him earlier.  
  
**********  
  
"Father, please! Look at me! I am telling the truth, " Nintashiro said as his sword snapped. He began clawing at Naraku.  
  
The tendrils off of the Naraku doll became more numerous, pulling the youth towards him.  
  
"let that boy go!" Sesshomaru said, as he pulled Toukijin and jumped in among the numerous tendrils.  
  
"This doll is much stronger than the last one he sent against me," He thought.  
  
Naraku saw Sesshomaru reading to jump. He lifted Nintashiro high into the air and whipped the tendrils holding him into a half circle. Toukijin severed the tendrils holding the boy, casing him to fly helplessly through the air. Nintashiro hit the trunk of a tree and a sickening crack was heard before he fell to the ground.  
  
"I let him go." Naraku chuckled evilly.  
  
Sesshomaru hacked at the Naraku doll until only the torso was left.   
  
"He, he," Naraku laughed softly, " I made you murder your only son," as the doll became nothing but dust.  
  
Sesshomaru sheathed Toukijin and walked over to where the body of the boy had fallen. He rolled the body over. The boy's neck wobbled and his head settled at an odd angle as Sesshomaru adjusted it to examine the boy. The boy's heart still beat, but it was slowing. If the boy had not been a youkai, he would have already been dead.   
  
The boy's face had the same marks as those on his own face. There was a crescent moon on the boy's forehead, but it was faint. He examined the ragged clothing the boy wore.   
  
"Trying to pass a faint copy of me off as my own son? Naraku, you are clever, but not that clever." he said to himself as he walked away from the body.  
  
"Sesshomaru samma!" Rin shouted as she ran and threw her arms around him.   
  
"Have you been a good girl for Jaken, Rin?"  
  
"Yes. And we met a big birdie and a nice lady on the way here!"  
  
"Sesshomaru samma!" Jaken shouted and huffed as he caught up to Rin.  
  
"What is this about a bird and a nice lady, Jaken?"  
  
Jaken huffed a couple of more times to catch his breath. "Oh, Lord. We met a tengu in Tomi Forest, but that is not important. I have wonderful news! It is a miracle!"  
  
"What are you babbling about, Jaken?"  
  
"Lady Murasaki! I found her, Sesshomaru sama! She is alive!"  
  
Sesshomaru whirled back around to face where the boy's body was lying. His mind went back to the night before the siege of the winter palace. He remembered he was having a nightmare that tuned into a dream of a wedding night with Murasaki. The dream was so vivid, that it etched itself permanently into his memory.  
  
"Not a dream?," he murmured aloud, " the boy is about the right age," as he pulled Tensaiga from its sheath and touched it to the body of the boy.   
  
The boy shifted and murmured out the word, 'father,' but remained unconscious. Sesshomaru picked up the sleeping youkai.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Who is that, Sesshomaru sama?"  
  
" I asked, where!? Jaken, take me to where Murasaki is, NOW!"  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Murasaki picked up the discarded rake that had still been sitting in the middle of the path. She examined it for a moment. She walked to the spot where the bisan sapling was. The ragweed was completely clear of the young tree. Nintashiro was nowhere to be seen. She sat on the ground and pondered for a few moments.  
  
"No! He wouldn't have! Oh no! he must have, have followed Jaken!" she said shakily as she bolted up. "Nintashiro!" She wailed at the top of her lungs. "Tomoaki! Where are you? Tomoaki!"  
  
The tengu floated down from a nearby tree.  
  
"What distresses you, Great Queen?"  
  
"My son, Nintashiro is missing! I fear he has done something very dangerous! Go look for him, please!"  
  
"I will look for the queen's son, the prince." Tomoaki said as he flew off.  
  
**********  
  
Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Inuyasha jumped slightly when they heard Murasaki's scream.  
  
Inuyasha quickly ran to where the scream had come from as Murasaki ran frantically towards him. He grabbed onto her arms and held her, to slow her down.  
  
"Inuyasha! Its Nintashiro! He is missing! I think, I think!"  
  
"Calm down! I can't help you if you don't."  
  
"He has gone after Sesshomaru!"  
  
"What!? "  
  
"Let me go, Inuyasha! I need to find Nintashiro before Sesshomaru does!"  
  
"Bakka! You can't fight my brother on your own."  
  
"But if he harms Nintashiro before he knows…"  
  
"Come back to the shrine. My friends are there. We will help."  
  
***********  
  
Sesshomaru carefully carried Nintashiro like a child as he slowly followed behind Jaken. Rin was sullen, and seemed jealous that Sesshomaru was carrying that boy and not her.   
  
"Sesshomaru sama? Why are you walking so slowly? I thought you wanted to see Murasaki."  
  
"I do, but I do not want to wake this boy. One of Naraku's dolls was in the meadow before you arrived. This boy tried to warn me."  
  
"Oh, I see. And that is a youkai boy, not some human."   
  
Jaken turned and took a hard look at the boy in Sesshomaru's arms.  
  
"He looks much like you, Sesshomaru sama. Another relative, one that is youkai, not hanyou?"  
  
"Perhaps, now get going."  
  
"Yes Sesshomaru sama."  
  
Sesshomaru was in no mood to be answering questions that he was not sure had answers.  
  
**********  
  
Inuyasha and Murasaki made their way back to the shrine. Kagome had treated the sick girl and lay her on a futon in the tree to rest.  
  
"Murasaki, what is wrong?"  
  
"Nintashiro has run off . " Inuyasha answered, "after Sesshomaru."  
  
"I will prepare, " Sango said as she went behind some trees to put on her armor.  
  
"Miroku, you stay here and look after the girl. Shippo you stay here to make sure Miroku does not fondle her."  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"I mean it, Miroku. With Rin and Jaken with him, all we need to do is scare him off. As long as Nintashiro is alright."  
  
"I am ready whenever everyone else is," Inuyasha said ad he pulled Tetsaiga.  
  
Their preparations were interrupted by the lonely sound of a flute.  
  
*********  
  
When they reached the fork in the path, Sesshomaru told Jaken to stop. He set the boy down on the grass.  
  
"This still could be a trap," He thought to himself, "There is only one way to make sure."  
  
Sesshomaru carefully untied the cord that held the flute to his obi. He held it in his hands a moment. The temporary arm felt awkward trying to hold the flute the proper way. He adjusted the flute and played a couple of faint notes, to make sure it still functioned properly. He had not played the flute since the night of the siege, and then he had both of his arms. He hoped he could still play the tune correctly. He did not want to play badly in front of Jaken.  
  
"Sesshomaru sama?"  
  
"Quiet Jaken, I am checking something.  
  
**********  
  
Please review 


	6. The Male Flute

The Male Flute  
  
Murasaki's eyes went wide and she began to sway slightly to the sound of the flute.  
  
"Murasaki, no. He wants to trap you!" Inuyasha said as he leapt towards her.  
  
She quickly stepped out of Inuyasha's way and leapt up into a tree.  
  
"Sango, we need to get to where that sound is coming from, fast." Kagome said as she grabbed her bow and headed down the path. Sango quickly followed.  
  
Inuyasha gave chase to Murasaki, jumping into a nearby branch of the same tree.  
  
"Baka, he is going to get you close and then kill you!"  
  
"He will not!" Murasaki said as she leapt to another tree.  
  
"Murasaki, listen. Sesshomaru wants to trap you! If he has Nintashiro, I can guarantee he is already dead!"  
  
"Silence, Inuyasha. I LOVE Sesshomaru! He is the only male I will EVER love. He loves me, I know he does!"  
  
"He does not know what love is anymore! He is cold and heartless. You are going to die!"  
  
"So be it," Murasaki said as she untied the cord which held her flute to her obi.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
Murasaki ignored him and put the flute to her lips.  
  
Inuyasha decided to jump down and follow Kagome and Sango.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Sesshomaru continued to play the sweet music on his flute.  
  
"Sesshomaru sama! If you keep that noise up, we could be ambushed! This forest is full of demons!"  
  
Sesshomaru ignored Jaken's ranting and continued to play.  
  
Nintashiro slowly woke to the sound of the flute. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked over at Rin, who had sit beside him.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"You are not a bad boy, are you?"  
  
"No, my name is Nintashiro, what is yours?"  
  
"My name is Rin. Will you dance with me? The music is so pretty."  
  
" I would, but I feel achy. Let me rest a bit and we'll see."  
  
"Okay. Sesshomaru sama plays flute really pretty huh?"  
  
Nintashiro looked up to see Sesshomaru playing his flute. He had not realized it was not his mother playing the song.  
  
He had grown accustomed to his mother's flute over the years. He knew there was something different about the sound of the flute when he woke. His mother's flute playing usually did not rouse him.   
  
"The male flute!" he said.  
  
"What's a male flute?" Rin asked.  
  
"A flute that a boy plays. It make a song that pretty girls like." he said to the child.  
  
"Oh, I see, he wants the pretty lady to hear it."  
  
"Yes, if you mean the pretty lady in the forest."  
  
"Oh yes, I met the pretty lady in the forest. Does Sesshomaru sama like the pretty lady?"  
  
"Oh yes, Rin. He likes the pretty lady very much."  
  
"Good. I liked her too. Do you know the pretty lady?"  
  
"Yes I do. That pretty lady he is playing the flute for, is my momma."  
  
"Ooh, goody. I like you. Maybe you can be my big brother. If you want to."  
  
"To have such a pretty little lady like you as a sister would be an honor."  
  
Sesshomaru heard the banter Rin was making at his feet, but he did not waiver in his song.  
  
A few minutes later, another flute not far away joined in .  
  
"Ooh, another flute! That makes the song even prettier! Now will you dance with me?"  
  
"Alright, Rin. But lets move away from Sesshomaru a little bit. We don't want to interrupt him."  
  
"Yay!" Rin said as she pulled Nintashiro off to the side so they could dance.  
  
Rin whirled around back and fourth, trying to keep time with the music.  
  
"No, not like that, Rin. Let me show you how proper ladies dance." He said as grabbed Rin's hands.  
  
He showed Rin how to stand properly. He stepped behind her and started showing the youngster the intricate hand and arm movements of dancing done in a royal court. Within minutes, Rin had slowed her movements and had them perfect.  
  
"Like this?"  
  
"That is right, Rin. Now let me stand in front of you. Look at my feet, you move your feet the same way, at the same time as you are moving your arms, Okay?"  
  
"Okay Nintashiro sama."  
  
Sesshomaru, looked at the two as they danced. In his mind, he was not seeing Nintashiro and Rin. He was looking at himself and Murasaki when they were very young. He remembered showing Murasaki the proper ways ladies of court should dance. The slow flowing arm movements, the careful steps.   
  
The only difference in the dance Nintashiro was showing Rin was that Nintashiro did not have a court haori with wide, long, sleeves and he did not have a fan. Nintashiro was dressed as a peasant, but peasants did not generally know the type of dance he and Rin were performing.  
  
**********  
  
Murasaki lowered her flute and jumped down from the tree as soon as Inuyasha left. She would have to take a round about way to where Sesshomaru was. If she was careful, she could get there before Inuyasha and his companions did. She put the flute to her lips and began to play as she walked in the direction she needed to.  
  
**********  
  
Tomoaki heard the flute and flew in its direction. He saw Nintashiro dancing with Rin. He saw Sesshomaru playing the flute. He looked both of them and could not decide which of the two was Murasaki's son.   
  
"It could be either one of them," He said to himself. He had not had a chance to meet Nintashiro, so he was not sure exactly who he was looking for. Both of the male youkai resembled Murasaki. He would have to find her in order to ask.   
  
He heard the piping of the other flute. He knew the sound of her flute. Tomoaki had heard it before, when he was scouting to capture the one armed demon.   
  
"I see no one armed demon. I will tell my friends and brood to stay away from conqueror Naraku." he thought to himself.  
  
Within minutes he saw Murasaki in the trees. He carefully flew down to her and told her what he saw.  
  
Murasaki took her lips from the flute for a brief moment, " Can you carry me there? It is important." and quickly put the flute back to her lips and continued to play.  
  
"You are not very heavy, I hope. " he said as he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air. "No, you are not heavy for Tomoaki."  
  
**********  
  
Inuyasha quickly bounded ahead of Sango and Kagome. He saw a youkai dancing and pulled testing. He started to go forward but stopped when he realized it was Nintashiro, and not Sesshomaru.  
  
Kagome came up behind Inuyasha.  
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
Inuyasha pointed at Nintashiro.  
  
"Nintashiro!" Kagome yelled and ran towards him, "You are alright! Your mother is worried sick. How dare you run off like that!?"  
  
Kagome ran right past Sesshomaru, who was hidden from view by a small group of trees.  
  
Sesshomaru halted his playing.  
  
"I suppose my worthless brother is with you. " He shouted at Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha growled at the sound of his brother's voice.  
  
"Oh, there you are. I hear you now. I am in no mood to fight you now, little brother. As you can see, I am waiting for someone. Someone who is not you. I will not kill you today."  
  
Inuyasha growled and slowly walked around the trees.   
  
Sango ran up to Kagome.  
  
"Sango, this is Nintashiro, Inuyasha's nephew."  
  
"Nephew? I thought you said that Murasaki was Inuyasha's cousin?"  
  
**********  
  
As Tomoaki flew over where he had seen the youkai, Murasaki halted her playing.  
  
"Tomoaki, quickly, fly lower over the one who was playing the flute. Drop me right in front of him!"  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
"Yes! His brother is sneaking around to kill him!"  
  
Jaken saw Tomoaki coming closer to Sesshomaru and screamed.  
  
"Tengu! We must flee from here, Sesshomaru sama. We are outnumbered ! Ah ! We are going to die!"  
  
Tomoaki just squawked at Jaken and did as Murasaki had commanded him. As she landed, she turned her back to Sesshomaru and held out her arms.  
  
Sesshomaru, surprised at someone suddenly jumping in front of him, dropped his flute and pulled Toukijin.  
  
"Inuyasha! Put that thing down NOW. Come out where I can see you. I will not allow you to lay a finger on Sesshomaru!" Murasaki shouted.  
  
"Mother!" Nintashiro shouted, "Behind you!"  
  
Murasaki whiled around to look straight into Sesshomaru's eyes.   
  
Sesshomaru blinked and quickly re-sheathed his sword. With a stunned look in his eyes, Sesshomaru slowly picked up the flute, brought it to his lips and began to play the lover's song again.  
  
Murasaki brought her flute to her lips and began to play the female part of the song, as she continued to stare into Sesshomaru's eyes.  
  
Inuyasha still had Tetsusaiga in his hands. He growled and inched closer, oblivious of what was happening on the other side of the trees.  
  
"Inuyasha! Stop!" Nintashiro yelled as he ran over to his uncle and tackled him.  
  
"Nintashiro, get off of me. I have to stop Sesshomaru from killing your mother. I have to reward her for saving my life."  
  
Kagome and Sango rushed over to help Nintashiro.  
  
"Kagome, talk some sense into this bakka!"  
  
Nintashiro let Inuyasha up once he got him to release Tetsusaiga.   
  
"Kagome! What is the matter with you?"  
  
"The flute playing makes me feel romantic, " she said as she jumped into Inuyasha's arms and planted a big kiss on his lips.   
  
Inuyasha fell back over with Kagome straddling him. He had no choice. He decided to deepen the kiss. The bliss he was feeling was broken abruptly.  
  
"Woo Hoo! Alright uncle!" Nintashiro giggled and hooted.  
  
Kagome's face turned red as she let Inuyasha up off of the ground.  
  
**********  
  
On the other side of the trees, both Murasaki and Sesshomaru lowered their flutes. Sesshomaru's breath became ragged, as he tried to keep himself from crying. He reached his hand out and pushed the hair aside where the mating mark on Murasaki's neck was. He inched closer to examine the mark. It was ragged and rough, but he could smell that it was clearly his mark.  
  
"I, I'm sorry."  
  
"Why, Sesshomaru, my love, my mate."  
  
"It is obvious. I understand. You came to try and calm my nightmares, that night. I, I took you by force, and roughly by the looks of the mark" He said as a single tear escaped down his cheek. " I don't even remember doing it. I thought I was dreaming."  
  
"Never mind that now. It was a horrible night. No matter how rough you were with me, it was the only pleasant thing I remember about that night." She said as she took his hand and tried to lead him to a spot where they could sit. She gasped at the coldness of his left hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, this is just a temporary arm. I lost my arm in a battle with, Inuyasha."  
  
"You are the one armed demon that he was trying to find?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The demons who attacked me called him Naraku."  
  
"Yes, but lets not talk about him now. We will have plenty of time later."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"I am still awed to see you alive, Murasaki. When I awoke to find the dokufu in the palace, I grabbed my sword and armor and rushed to your chambers. The room was nothing but blood. I smelled your blood among it."  
  
Murasaki blushed as her hand went up to her mating mark, "Yes, your mark did bleed quite a bit before I snuck off to bathe."  
  
"That is why the dokufu missed you?"  
  
"Their attack was carefully planned. I was not where I was supposed to be. "  
  
"I was beside myself with grief."  
  
"You continued to be, until you saw me just now, with your own eyes."  
  
"Murasaki."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would you mind if we snuck away and mated? Mated properly."  
  
"Just a moment. I will tell Nintashiro to lead everyone back to the shrine. "  
  
"Nintashiro, is he…"  
  
"Yes, he is your son, conceived on that night. Thinking back, the reason you mated me while still asleep was probably because you could smell that I was in heat."  
  
Sesshomaru got a twinkle in his eye, "You are in heat now. I am not opposed to having another pup."  
  
"How did you know? I am at the end of my cycle. I have never had a male be able to scent that before."  
  
"I am different. You are my mate. Now send our son and his foster sister off so I can enjoy MY mate's special company. "  
  
"I suppose you mean Rin. I will be right back"  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Notes:  
  
In ancient Japan, including the feudal era, lovers flutes were a sign of propper, courtly love. They were similar to engagement or promise rings used today.  
  
Please Review. 


	7. A Question of Protocol

A Question of Protocol  
  
"Murasaki sama! I will not stay in the house with him!" Jaken howled as she announced that she needed time alone with Sesshomaru.  
  
"Jaken, you must understand. Inuyasha was forced by the dokufu to flee for his life. He never had the time for the proper training in court etiquette. Do not slight him because his manners are base and peasant-like. He had to rely on peasants for his education. If we had not been separated by the dokufu spawn, his manners would be better. "  
  
"It is not the lack of manners befitting his station. He wants me dead! He wants Sesshomaru sama dead. He is the one who took Sesshomaru sama's arm!"  
  
"I am aware of that. I also know I may be the one to remedy the situation."  
  
"Jaken, I will make sure that uncle does not harm you or Rin. Besides the Bisan tree shrine we live in will make him mind."  
  
"If Nintashiro sama says there will be no problems, I will go. But, I do not trust Inuyasha sama's companions."  
  
" I will take care of them, Jaken." Kagome said, " as long as you keep your word."  
  
No more words were spoken about the situation as Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Jaken, Rin, and Nintashiro made their way back to the shrine.  
  
**********  
  
"We are alone." Murasaki said as she sat next to Sesshomaru.  
  
"You should not try to make excuses for Inuyasha's lowly actions. If it were merely a case of protocol, you and I would be guilty of breaking the rules many times over."  
  
"I realize that. I know that it is forbidden for a lady of royal blood to touch any male but her father before she is mated. If we followed that rule to the letter, you could not have shown me how to dance. You needed to take my hands to teach me the movements. You could have not saved me during the sack of my father's castle. You had to carry me out of the fire in your arms. Some rules can be bent."  
  
"Some rules can be broken, like the night you came to my chamber."  
  
"It hurt me to see you tormented so badly by nightmares."  
  
"I understand, but you should not have gone there. It is forbidden for a lady of noble blood to enter a male's chamber."  
  
"You were crying out for me. I was frightened."  
  
"I cried out? For you?" Sesshomaru said as a slight blush came to his cheeks.  
  
"It is also protocol that if the lord master of a lady calls to her, she must go. Your father was my liege lord. He was away. Which made you the one I answered to. If you called to me, even in sleep, I had to go to you. "  
  
"That is the absolute truth, what you have told me? I called to you. I want you to swear it."  
  
"I swear upon the sovereignty of your father and the life of my only son."  
  
Sesshomaru let out a slight sigh beneath his stoic face. The punishment for a noblewoman's wantonness was death. He knew that to be a good ruler, he must not place himself above his laws. He did not want her to die. His beloved Murasaki. Her confession and her oath put his mind at ease.   
  
He could mate her, instead of executing her.  
  
"One other thing, my love," She said as she handed Sesshomaru her staff.  
  
"Saiminjutsu. I see, father already gave you permission to enter my chambers. I am glad."  
  
**********  
  
Jaken sat in a defensive posture while those present stared at him. The shrine was eerily silent. Kagome was tending to the village girl. Shippo had nodded off to sleep, as had Rin.   
  
Nintashiro sat in a noble posture. His face was plain and stoic, making him look more like his father. He put his hands together in a prayer like manner and closed his eyes. A small light emanated from the tips of his fingers. He rose and went over to the injured girl. The light flowed from his fingers and covered her wounds. The injuries started healing before Kagome's eyes.  
  
"Perhaps your mother's theory was right." Kagome whispered.  
  
"What theory is that?"  
  
"You have miko powers, despite the fact you are a male."  
  
"I know. I have always had a gift for healing the sick. I do not use my gift in front of mother often. It makes her nervous, and overprotective."  
  
"She has the right. You are her son. And, you have an unusual gift for your kind."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said, commenting on the conversation," He could have gotten those powers entirely from his mother. Her theory about Sesshomaru and me having latent miko powers is too far fetched."  
  
"Is that what Murasaki told you?" Sango asked.  
  
"Feh"  
  
"It would explain why your affection mark is so strong on her. " Nintashiro commented.  
  
"Affection mark!" Miroku piped up, " Inuyasha, you animal, I Knew you had it in you to make your move!"  
  
"Shh," Sango said as she planted her hand over his mouth," You don't want to wake the girl."  
  
"It's not like that. An affection mark is a sign of friendship, nothing more." Nintashiro said calmly.  
  
Tomoaki quietly walked into the shrine . "How is the girl?" He asked.  
  
"Doing better. Is there something wrong, Tomoaki."  
  
"I hear something strange coming from the east part of the forest. It sounds like rustling reeds, but there is no breeze, and no reeds that direction."  
  
"Tomoaki, take Miroku and Sango with you to see what it is. If you two don't mind accompanying a tengu, that is. This is not a good time for the oni to be making trouble." Nintashiro instructed.  
  
"Yes prince of Tomi Forest. If you two are ready, come with me."  
  
Sango nodded and grabbed Miroku's arm. "Kirara, come. Tomoaki, Kirara can fly while carrying us. We will follow you that way."  
  
"Ah, very wise lady. I like you. Come, this way."  
  
Jaken mused as the four left the shrine. He could not believe what he had just seen and his ears just heard.  
  
"Nintashiro, a healer? Murasaki thinks it possible that part of his power came from Sesshomaru sama?" he thought to himself. "Could that be why Inutaitio sama gave him tensaiga and not Tetsusaiga? Could Inuyasha sama also posess..."  
  
"What are you looking at, Jaken?"  
  
"An ill mannered prince who can not control his expressions in mixed company."  
  
"Feh, I have no use for court protocol."  
  
"If you showed proper respect and protocol among Sesshomaru sama, he would not want to kill you so badly. He might even still have his arm!"  
  
"That was his own fault! He chose to try and take what was not his. He chose to attack Kagome. You reap what you sow!"  
  
"Your lack of manners is an embarrassment! It dishonors Sesshomaru sama so badly that killing you may be the only way to regain his honor! Worse, now he knows his beloved snuck into his chambers. It is forbidden for royal ladies to do that!"  
  
"I would calm down, uncle, and Jaken. It is not good to.."   
  
Ivy-like tendrils of wood came out from the walls of the shrine and quickly wound their way around both Inuyasha and Jaken. The tendrils pulled them up to the wall of the shrine.  
  
"It is not good to struggle. He will just tighten those tendrils if you do not calm down. He will release you once you have calmed."  
  
"Who are you talking about, Nintashiro sama?"  
  
"The bisan tree of course. This shrine is a hollow in an enormous bisan tree. "  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said as he calmed himself," I don't need to be stuck to another tree."  
  
"Jaken, is my mother in danger?"  
  
"I, I don't know Nintashiro sama."  
  
"I do, she had the staff, Saiminjutsu with her. All she has to do is show it to father, and everything will be fine."  
  
"Inutaitio sama gave her a marriage staff. Oh he was so wise in the matters of love. But if he had the staff made for her, he must have known.." Jaken said as the bisan tree slowly released him.  
  
"Known what?" Inuyasha said as he was freed from the tree's grasp.  
  
"That he was not going to come back."  
  
**********  
  
Murasaki walked two paces behind Sesshomaru. She held her staff in her left hand and kept her right hand to her side, despite the urge to rub her stomach. Both her abdomen and her new mating mark felt warm.   
  
It was the way proper consort mates walked behind their masters. She kept her face as expressionless as possible.   
  
They may have only been walking the forest path, but it still felt like they were making their after-mating procession.   
  
They were alone, but she still imagined their subjects showering them with sakura petals as they passed.  
  
Sesshomaru was imagining much the same thing. He kept his arms to his sides and his eyes on the path.   
  
Neither one of them spoke until they reached the door of the shrine.  
  
**********  
  
Please review. 


	8. Pieces To Play

Pieces To Play  
  
"Is this where you live?"  
  
"Yes, the bisan tree protects us. Sesshomaru look at me."  
  
He turned and looked into her eyes.   
  
She raised her right hand up and said "Sleep."  
  
Sesshomaru's eyes grew heavy. He stumbled to the side of the path, trying to steady himself. Everything was spinning until he finally fell into darkness.  
  
"Sesshomaru sama! Murasaki sama! What have you done to him?" Jaken shouted as he walked out of the shrine.  
  
"He is fine. I only put him to sleep. He is stubborn and exhausted. He needed to sleep, and will not in present company. He will wake when I let him."  
  
"How could you do such a thing?"  
  
"Easy Jaken. I am a healer. He needs to sleep for me to give him his gift. Is Inuyasha still in the shrine?"  
  
"Yes, the unmannered prince is in there."  
  
"Who do you think you are talking about?" Inuyasha said, stepping outside after hearing his name.  
  
"Inuyasha, where is your brother's arm?"  
  
"Feh, How the hell should I know?"  
  
"You were the one who cut it off, using your father's sword, Tetsusaiga. Where did his arm land? It is important."  
  
"Why should I tell you?"  
  
"Because, your brother is dying. The only thing keeping him alive is Tensaiga. When he lost his arm, he was too stubborn to seek proper aid for the wound . He believed his youkai blood alone would allow the wound to heal. He was wrong. An infection spread slowly through his body. Naraku made it worse by placing a curse on him. He made it worse by borrowing arms from his prey. Do you hear me, Inuyasha? You do not need to try to kill him, in essence, you already have. He knows his mistake, now. It is why he seeks the shikon no tama. He thinks it is the only way he will be able to survive. He is no longer seeking blindly for power. He is searching for himself. He is searching for the person he used to be, before all the horrors hardened his heart."  
  
"Don't be stupid because of your feelings. Power is the only thing he cares about. Mating you was just a way to increase his own status and power."  
  
"That is not true. He planned to kill me once he got me alone. I will not go into matters of protocol, it will take all day. We do not have time. Where is Sesshomaru's arm?"  
  
"At father's grave." Inuyasha said with a sigh. He looked as his brother. Murasaki must be much more powerful than she was letting on. She put Sesshomaru asleep. He was completely helpless.  
  
"Where is your father buried?"  
  
"I can't tell you. Let him pay for his mistakes."  
  
"Then, Sesshomaru isn't the only one who has grown heartless. Nintashiro, help me get your father into the shrine. At least I can help him rest a while."  
  
***********  
  
Sango and Miroku atop Kirara followed Tomoaki closely to where he heard the strange noise. Within sight of the area, they heard buzzing and crying.  
  
"There, There it is," Tomoaki said as he landed on a nearby branch.  
  
There were several bamboo cages with young girls trapped inside. Kagura was using her fan to slowly dismantle a dead tree. From within the tree, a group of green wasps quickly escaped. Kagura used her fan to catch the wasps and force them to the ground. The green wasps transformed into young girls. Kagura herded them towards the cages. One by one the girls tried to hide from the wind in the small cages. Kagura shut the cages, and went back to the dead tree to repeat the process again.  
  
"She's collecting bisan." Tomoaki said.  
  
"So that is how Naraku creates his spy wasps. He captures young bisan from their nest, corrupts them, and absorbs the ones who fight him." Miroku said.  
  
"Disgusting. Lets go." Sang said urging Kirara forward.  
  
"Ah, coming to rescue the little wasps. Well I will not let you have them." Kagura said, waving her wind attack towards Kirara.  
  
With Kagura distracted, Tomoaki jumped and glided down to the cages. He quickly smashed them open. The freed girls quickly ran into the forest.  
  
"Tomoaki! What are you doing here? You are supposed to kill the one-armed youkai for Naraku."  
  
"There is no one-armed youkai in this forest. You and Naraku are betrayers! I work for you no more!"  
  
Sango's hiratsu flew towards Kagura's head. Kagura deftly dodged it, but it allowed Tomoaki time to help more bisan escape. Sango and Miroku dismounted and headed right toward Kagura.  
  
"Traitor, Tomoaki. You will pay for this."  
  
"Harming bisan chicks is no way for a leader to lead. I will follow only the queen of the forest from now on!"  
  
"What queen of the forest? There is no such thing."  
  
"Kagura, you are outnumbered. " Sango yelled as she launched her hiratsu once again.   
  
Tomoaki released the last of the bisan girls and headed towards the nest to protect any more that were inside. Miroku distracted Kagura long enough to let Tomoaki check the nest.  
  
"It's empty. Kagura, get out of here. " He said as he pulled a shimmering katana." Or I will slice you in two."   
  
Kagura tossed down a feather and flew off. "I got most of the nest, I don't need to bother with you anymore."  
  
"Will those girls be alright?" Miroku asked with a sly smile.  
  
"Oh, yes. The bisan tree does not die until the young inside are ready to find trees of their own."  
  
"Wipe that look off your face, you pervert. We need to get back to the shrine."  
  
"After I make sure those girls are alright," Miroku said, running into the forest.  
  
***********  
  
  
  
"I do not understand you , uncle. You do not play Shio-ghi. Because of that, Naraku is playing you for a fool. Look at what has happened so far. The dokufu drew out the board, when they allied with grandfather's enemies. Naraku set up the board, when he was Onigumo, when he was working for the dokufu. First, Naraku tried to take the Kin, mother, when he supposedly was asking for help. He failed and mother marked him. Second he tried to take the Ka-Ma and the Kaku, you and Kikiyo. He succeeded and failed. Kikiyo was resurrected, but he did not count that a Yari would reincarnate and become the new Kaku, Kagome. You were sealed but, Kagome freed you. Next, he tried to take the Nari-Kaku, Miroku or rather his grandfather, by creating the void in his hand. He failed because the trait is passed down generations. Fourth move, he tried to capture the Sho, when the Sho was weakened by the loss of his arm. He failed because of the Nari-Hisha, Jaken, being there, protecting the Sho. Fifth move, " Nintashiro continued. As he did, everyone within the shrine gathered to hear his synopsis.  
  
"He tried to take the Ghin, Sango, by killing her family. He failed because the Ka-Ma, the Kaku, and the Nari-Kaku were there to prevent her being taken. Next consist of several moves involving various Fu and Hio, taking them out of play. Finally, he tried to take The Sho again by trying to take the Hisha first, me. He failed because the Sho outwitted him. Can't you see it, uncle. Even if you have not played Shio-ghi in a long time, you should at least remember the standard cheat moves to win quickly. Naraku has followed those moves almost to the letter."  
  
"I can not disagree with my son. He has been listening to all of us and has thought it carefully through."  
  
"My grandfather likes to play Shio-ghi, but I prefer Go. Still, I remember some of those cheat moves. It was the only way to quicken the pace of the game. " Kagome added.  
  
"Nintashiro sama, what do you think will be his next move?" Jaken shakily said.  
  
"If he follows the pattern, he will pull captured Fu and Hio into play. Once secured, he will attack the Ka-Ma or the Ghin again, most likely the Ghin."  
  
"That would mean Sango is the next target." Kagome said.  
  
"The next target for what?" Sango said as she walked in the shrine.  
  
"We were discussing Naraku's moves and how they are very similar to Shio-ghi cheat moves. Either you or Inuyasha or both are next on his target list."  
  
"We are all on his target list, Kagome, including him." She said pointing to Sesshomaru.   
  
"Yes, Sango," Murasaki added, "His plans and treachery go very far back. He wants to dominate the world. He will destroy all demons and humans who stand in his way."  
  
"Now that we know what kind of game he is playing, it may be easier to anticipate his movements." Kagome said happily, "We have a better chance of beating him. By the way, were are Miroku and Tomoaki?"  
  
"Outside. We rescued some virgin bisan that Kagura was trying to enslave. She escaped again, but we did manage to save some of the girls. Miroku got it into his head to chase and flirt with one of them. Tomoaki is treating his wounds."  
  
"Typical Miroku. Perhaps I should go help."  
  
"No, it was just bruise. He will be fine."  
  
"Inuyasha, look around you. With all that has been said, can you really deny your brother his arm? If Nintashiro is right, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, has been the real target all along. Naraku knew Sesshomaru was too powerful, so he fueled the fire that already existed between you two." Murasaki said, "Where is your father's grave?"  
  
"In the pearl behind his left eye."  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"Inuyasha, this time I can't argue. We have been attacked by Naraku's demons. We have been attacked by resurrected evil men, which by the way, we are still trying to chase down. Naraku is creating pawns left and right. Even if he refuses to help us, directly, he wants Naraku as bad as you do. "  
  
"But, Kagome!"  
  
"So, do I have to make you do this one consideration for your brother? It will help you save face. It will show me that you are not as heartless as he is."  
  
"But Kagome!"  
  
"Sit!"  
  
Both Murasaki and Nintashiro laughed when Inuyasha fell face first into the floor.   
  
"What do we need to do?" Sango asked.   
  
"First, Nintashiro, you need to remove the temporary arm and work your healing to curb the newest infection caused by the arm."  
  
"Yes mother."  
  
"Sango, I am going to put Inuyasha asleep after I remove the pearl, so he will not feel as much pain. I need you to stay and watch him. Make sure his breathing stays regular. If it slows, pat him on the back."  
  
"I can do that."  
  
"Kagome, do you know where Sesshomaru's arm fell?"  
  
"Yes, I was there."  
  
"Good, you will come with me so I can locate it faster. The faster we do this, the less pain Inuyasha will endure."  
  
"What about the children?" Kagome said pointing to Rin, Shippo, and the girl from the village. "It looks like they are waking up."  
  
"Jaken, you take them outside. I am sure between you, Miroku and Tomoaki, they will be fine."  
  
"I will do so, Murasaki sama."  
  
Jaken rushed the children out of the shrine while the ladies and Nintashiro prepared.  
  
"I am ready, Mother"  
  
"So am I," Sango said.   
  
"Inuyasha, Kagome?"  
  
"Grrr."  
  
"Don't be such a baby, Inuyasha. I will make this as quick as possible."  
  
"I'm ready," Kagome said.  
  
Soft, white light came from Murasaki's fingers as she carefully removed the pearl with her right hand. With her left hand she weaved a spell, putting Inuyasha into a deep sleep.   
  
Murasaki placed the pearl on the floor lightly tapped it with Saiminjutsu. The portal to the grave opened. Once the two landed on the enormous body of Inutaitio, Murasaki looked at the skull and began to cry.  
  
"I miss you, great uncle." She said as she dried her tears, "Which way?"  
  
"Over there, past his right shoulder bones, near his lower ribs."  
  
They made their way to the spot indicated by Kagome. The arm was there, still in full youkai form. Murasaki weaved a spell to change the form of the arm. She picked it up and placed it into a silk sack she had with her.  
  
"Lets get out of here. Before I fall apart again."  
  
"Alright, Murasaki."  
  
They emerged from the portal to find both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru peacefully sleeping.  
  
"Any problems while we were gone?"  
  
"None from Inuyasha," Sango said, "But Sesshomaru was screaming in his sleep. Something about dokufu. That is strange. My father nearly wiped out the spider demons years ago. Why should he still fear them?"  
  
"I will explain later," Murasaki said as she lightly tapped the portal, casing it to turn back into a pearl. The pearl drifted back to Inuyasha. His eyelid opened and the pearl took it's proper place.   
  
Murasaki waved a hand to awaken Inuyasha.  
  
"Grr, I changed my mind."  
  
"Too late, it is already done." Murasaki said.  
  
"That was fast."  
  
"You had a nice nap for a half an hour, Inuyasha. " Kagome added.  
  
"Kagome, I will need you. Sango, Inuyasha, you might not be up to seeing this."  
  
"We'll go. C'mon Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and sighed as he left. He knew that his cousin was as stubborn as he was.  
  
**********  
  
Notes:  
  
Go- a lesser form of Japanese Chess using two colors of stones, one for each player. Usually the colors are black and white.  
  
Thanks for all of the Reviews! 


	9. Scattered Dreams

Scattered Dreams  
  
Sesshomaru fought through his dreams. Memories flooded in. He was helpless to them.   
  
"My arm! How dare you, Inuyasha, slice off my arm! I must retreat but show no emotion. I can not let the bastard child win. I will win against him yet. I will teach him for trying to replace me in father's heart!"  
  
The scene faded to a clear night, full of stars in the sky. He was looking at his younger self, as he stared up. A small creature crept up where Young Sesshomaru could not see him.  
  
"What is this? Who is that?" he said to himself as he watched the scene in his mind.  
  
"Who is there?" The young Sesshomaru said playfully, "Somebody must be there. I can smell him, but where can he be?"  
  
A slight giggle came from the small creature as it ducked down in the grass.  
  
The young Sesshomaru rolled over onto his knees. He swayed back and forth.  
  
"I am looking so hard! Where oh where is that thing I smell? It has to be close." Young Sesshomaru said as he crept closer on hands and knees to where the small creature was.   
  
He stood almost directly over the creature and said, "I must be really close now, I smell, a three-year-old. I smell a toddler. I smell an, Inuyasha!"   
  
Young Sesshomaru grabbed the giggling toddler out of the grass. He tossed him in the air a couple of times, hugged him close and whirled around in a circle. Then he sat in the grass with the hanyou toddler in his lap.  
  
"Inuyasha, what are you doing out here so late? Your momma will worry if she finds you gone."  
  
"Uh, bubb-burr out. Want out witsh bubb-burr." the toddler said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.  
  
"You look too sleepy. Inuyasha needs his sleep."  
  
"Bubb-burr.." The little ones voice trailed off as he fell asleep in Young Sesshomaru's arms.  
  
"What is this? I was never that close to him, was I?"  
  
The scene changed again. The clacking and chitterling sound came back to memory. Sesshomaru tried to close his internal eyes.  
  
"This is a dream, Only a dream." as he looked up.  
  
It was the night of the siege on the Winter Palace once more. The dokufu female was standing over his bed, her stinger slowly coming out of her abdomen.   
  
"What am I going to do! My sword is on the other side of this monster!"  
  
The female dokufu bounced on her eight legs as she realized her prey had awakened. there was no way she was going to let this youkai get away.  
  
Sesshomaru's hands scrambled for anything he could use to distract the dokufu so he could reach his sword and armor. His hand rested on something, a stick for the fire perhaps.  
  
"What?" he said as he took the object and bashed the dokufu aside. It was a staff of some sort, and it was glowing in his hand. The dokufu screeched when the staff hit her body.   
  
Sesshomaru looked and saw that one end of the staff was slightly pointed. He rammed the point into the enormous spider. the dokufu erupted into blue flame and fell to the floor.  
  
He looked at the staff. He had never seen it before.   
  
"How did it get next to my futon?" He thought.  
  
It had a familiar feel to it. It was made of one of his father's teeth, that was certain, but there was another smell on it.  
  
"Murasaki!" he yelled as he put it down and haphazardly donned his armor. He carried his sword and the staff to Murasaki's apartments. There were screams and cries everywhere.   
  
He was in Murasaki's bedchamber. It was torn apart and splattered with blood. He could smell hers among it.  
  
"No!" He shouted as he threw the staff out the ruined part of the building.   
  
He heard a small voice scream," Momma! No! Help me! Brother! Mommmmaaaa! Don't take me away! No! I want to go back! Sesshomaru! Brother! Papa! Momma!"  
  
"They save him above Princess Murasaki? How can this be?" He said as he shifted into full youkai form. He slashed and killed dokufu left and right.   
  
By the time the sun rose, the dokufu who attacked were gone. The palace was a complete ruin. Very few of those left inside survived.   
  
Sesshomaru searched through the rubble for the staff. Once he found it he took the remains of Murasaki's favorite obi he had found while looking. He stuck the pointed end of the staff in the ground and tied the obi around it. He fingered the flute still tied to the obi that held his armor together.   
  
"I will find my father at the front, and the dokufu and their allies will pay for this. I swear by this flute, that I always will carry, they will pay."  
  
The scene started to spin again. 

...............  
  
"First, we need to prepare his arm. Nintashiro, remove your father's armor." Murasaki said as she pulled the arm out of the silk bag.  
  
"What must we do?"  
  
"Kagome, help me check it for impurities."  
  
"What kind of impurities?"  
  
"Vermin, bugs. It is lucky he lost his arm at Inutaitio's grave. The master would not allow certain types of vermin to defile it."  
  
Kagome helped inspect the arm. She had to keep herself from gagging as she looked at the lifeless appendage.  
  
Murasaki took a sharp knife and carefully cut open the arm. Blood spurted out, nearly making Murasaki gag. She composed herself and inspected the arm from the inside.  
  
"I was never much good at biology. Can I go help Nintashiro keep Sesshomaru stable?"  
  
"Very well. It is okay. I do not see anything within the arm that should not be there." Murasaki said as she carefully closed and wrapped the arm.  
  
"All that blood from the arm. Is it still alive?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yes, in a sense. Oddly, Inuyasha's life energy, through the pearl of his eye, kept the arm vital. It is much the same way his life energy protected the grave and Tetsusaiga. It is as I suspected. It is Inutaitio's line that contains the youkai miko power. It is minimal in Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, but it is there."  
  
"Mother, he is having another nightmare." Nintashiro said with wide eyes.  
  
"Sit on his chest. Keep him from thrashing around. Kagome, I would suggest using a scarf to cover your face. I need you to keep his mouth clear in case he vomits."  
  
"Ew, well I don't know." Kagome said. She looked at the emotion on Sesshomaru's face. He was in so much anguish. Her face and her heart softened. He was a living, feeling being. " Alright, I will do it."  
  
"Good. I will need to cut the stump at his shoulder to make it bleed. He should be able to take the pain, but he should not thrash around." ...............  
  
Spring was in full bloom. Sesshomaru watched Murasaki gather flowers in the gardens of Teisetsu Palace. He hid behind a wall. His heart was racing. Although he and Murasaki had played together as children, once she was of age, no males were allowed to touch her. It was severely frowned upon for males to look at her. She was so very beautiful. His cousin and his cousin's mate, Inuteitoku and Midori, warned Sesshomaru that although he was Murasaki's shinro, they would have him flogged if he got too close to her. He was not allowed on this side of the palace, but he wanted to see her face, just once.  
  
Sesshomaru considered that behind the wall far enough away to not get into trouble. This disobedience was thrilling. The scent of the flowers, and the sight of her gold-touched white hair made him even more excited. There was another scent in he slight breeze, a feminine sort of scent he did not recognize, but seemed instinctively to know.   
  
Murasaki turned her face toward the wall. Her face was heaven itself.   
  
He wanted her. He wanted her right then. He ducked low behind the wall. He shook his head and tried to calm himself. His ragged breaths were so loud. Sesshomaru knew that she must have heard him.   
  
"Enjoying the view?" a voice from a tree that grew next to the wall said.  
  
"You know that father said you would be flogged if you got too close to her? I didn't think you would be so bold to disobey . Sesshomaru, you are hopeless."   
  
A youkai with light brown hair and green eyes walked around so Sesshomaru could see him.   
  
"Then what are you doing here, Mikageishi? You may be her older brother, but you are not supposed to get close to her either."  
  
"So, are you feeing that strange feeling in your loins?"  
  
"What are talking about?"  
  
"Your cheeks are red, and you are trying to control yourself. You are still not much older than a pup. You have no idea what your body is doing that for, do you?"  
  
"Quit mocking me, Mikageishi. I am sixteen, an adult. I have already served on the battlefield."  
  
"I am not mocking you, itoko. I am educating you. I have two mates already, so I know about these things. Lets get away from Murasaki's scent before it overpowers both of us."  
  
"What is so bad about your sister's scent?"  
  
"Nothing, but she is in heat for the first time. The first heat for girls always lasts three times as long as it does any other time in their lifetime. That is why no males are allowed near her now. Her scent is also much more powerful than any other time in her life."  
  
"Oh." Sesshomaru said as he slowly stood up and crossed his arms. He was angry that he had not been informed the reason why he must stay away from Murasaki.  
  
"Come, Sesshomaru, let's go back to my apartments. Kurumi and Oribu have taken my pups to see mother. There will be no females or crying children to bother us. I also have a private stash of saki to calm your nerves. We need to get out of here before we lose control."  
  
A small gust of breeze blew past them. Sesshomaru began to shake. He grabbed his hakama to hide his embarrassing situation. He looked over at Mikageishi.   
  
Mikageishi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "You see what I mean?"  
  
"Mikageishi! Sesshomaru! I told both of you to stay out of this part of the palace!" Inuteitoku shouted as he saw the two entering the pavilion from the gardens. "Both of you! To the dojo! Now! I am going to cane both of you!"  
  
Inuteitoku grabbed both the younger youkai by their collars. His face hardened as he dragged the two behind him. He tossed them into the dojo and grabbed a bamboo sword from off the wall. He tied his golden hair back so it would not fall into his eyes.  
  
"Murasaki is barely fourteen, much too young to have you two go insane and mate her. Both of you take off your armor, your haori, and your ghi's. Now!"  
  
Sesshomaru shook as he slowly disrobed his back. He closed his eyes and waited for the caning to begin. It hurt more than he thought it would. His father had never caned him this hard. He whimpered as he felt the blood flow down his back. He started to vomit. The caning stopped. He looked over to see Mikageishi caned by Inuteitoku.   
  
Tears ran down Sesshomaru's face as he saw Inuteitoku put bleeding welts on his own son's back. Sesshomaru knew it was his fault Mikageishi was being beaten.   
  
Mikageishi stood there with no emotion on his face, no tears and no movement.   
  
"Stop! Please, cousin, stop. It is my fault! He only went to collect me!"  
  
"Will you take the remainder of his blows, like a nobleman?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Let Mikageishi be your example. Real nobles take their punishment with no movement, or emotion."  
  
Sesshomaru took a deep breath and nodded for Inuteitoku to continue the beating.  
  
Everything faded to black, but he still felt stabbing pain. .....................  
  
"Collect the blood from his stump in this bowl. I will need to pour it over his arm before we can re-attach it. The arm needs to be soaked in his fresh blood for this to work. " Murasaki said with fear in her voice.. "The arm should become more vital and be ready to place once that is done."  
  
"Alright mother." Nintashiro said tearfully. He did not want to cause his father any more pain.  
  
"Be careful not to cry into it yet. It could cause the arm to heal too fast. " Murasaki replied with tears welling up in her own eyes.  
  
Sesshomaru's face had grow hard again. His thrashing and whimpering stopped. The three who were tending to him had no idea what his mind was doing.   
  
"His dreams seem to cause him more pain than what we are doing. " Kagome said.  
  
"That is the way of dreams. "   
  
"Is this enough blood," Nintashiro asked once the small bowl was nearly full.  
  
Murasaki blinked and sighed, trying to steady her nerves. "Yes, that will be enough. Cover the wound."  
  
Murasaki took the fresh blood over to the arm. She poured some of it over the wounds and soaked the silk bag in the rest of it. Slowly, the recent cuts Murasaki made to inspect the arm began to heal. She took the bloody silk and carefully daubed the arm. The arm showed some natural color and the fingers twitched. She wrapped the arm in the blood-soaked silk.  
  
"It seems to be working. Now comes the hard part. Attaching the arm correctly to the stump is tricky."  
  
"I know you can do it, mother. We are here to help."  
  
"I believe you can as well." Kagome added. .........................  
  
It was several weeks after his caning. Sesshomaru sat with Mikageishi drinking saki. His back still stung, but he was on the verge of drunkenness, and did not care.   
  
He had been allowed to see and talk to Murasaki when she came out of heat. She ignored every conversation he tried to make. She would not answer any question . She simply stared at the floor in front of her.  
  
"Sesshomaru I can't believe your father and mother kept you so ignorant of the ways of the world." Mikageishi slurred," I mean, I was allowed to at least fondle my bath servants."  
  
"Bath servants are usually humans. It is not the same."  
  
"So, what have you done to your bath servants? Hmm?"  
  
"Quit being vulgar Mikageishi. I haven't done anything to my female bath servants, human or otherwise."  
  
Mikageishi rolled on the floor in drunken laughter. He got up, went to the terrace and vomited over the side. Once finished, Mikageishi continued to laugh until tears ran down his face.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" Sesshomaru growled.  
  
"My poor little cousin is still chaste. How are you going to know what to do with Murasaki on your wedding night if you don't experiment with the inferiors a little?"  
  
"I have not had time for such things. If you haven't noticed lately, we are still at war."  
  
"Aw hell, the war will never come high enough into the mountains to reach Teisetsu Palace. This is the safest place in all of the Western Lands."  
  
A knock came at the inner door to the room.  
  
"Boys, may we come in?" an aged voice said.  
  
"One moment, grandmother," Mikageishi said as he hastily pushed aside the saki bowls and covered them with a piece of stray cloth.  
  
Mikageishi slid aside the door. His mother, grandmother, and Sesshomaru's mother sat there waiting to be invited in.  
  
"You have not been into the saki, again, have you Mikageishi? You know that will make your wounds heal much slower."  
  
"I, ah, well, grandmother Sakura."  
  
"Don't bother lying. I can smell it all over you. We are here to check your wounds. As for you , Sesshomaru, we have some good news."  
  
"Yes, great aunt Sakura, what news?"  
  
"You may be able to take Murasaki with you when you leave tomorrow morning."  
  
Sesshomaru smiled and began to blush. His mother took her fan and rapped him on the head.  
  
"Mind your manners."  
  
"Hana, do not punish the boy for that. All lovers blush before they are allowed to mate. You and my 'baby' brother were much the same."  
  
"Humph" Hana replied, stood , and left the room.  
  
"Ignore her, Sesshomaru, she is just angry at the location your father put his favorite concubine. She will get over it." Midori said as she stared as him. Her green eyes sparkled," I am proud to have you as a son-in-law. Perhaps one of your pups will inherit my dark hair, hmm?"  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
Sesshomaru was saddened the next morning when he learned that Inuteitoku would not allow Murasaki to accompany them back to Inutaitio's palace. Sesshomaru did not blame his cousin, after the way he behaved while he was a guest. How could he trust Sesshomaru to keep his hands off of her until their wedding.  
  
An hour into their journey down the winding, mountain road, the caravan came upon an old woman standing by the side of the road, begging for coins. When the old woman was ignored, she slowly followed the caravan.  
  
Suddenly a chattering sound came from the old woman. She transformed into a dokufu and attacked.  
  
Sesshomaru turned his horse around and defended as his mother's coach sped on ahead He used the new technique that Mikageishi taught him, an energy whip. Within a matter of minutes the beast was dead.  
  
He heard his mother scream. He turned around and headed back down the road. A huge oni with the head of a bull and razor claws of a dragon yanked his mother out of her coach.  
  
"Mother!" he yelled as the oni ripped her to threads.  
  
Sesshomaru leaped off the horse hand quickly killed the oni. He looked back in the direction of the palace and saw huge puffs of smoke rising. He ran back to try to aid his relatives.  
  
He could not believe the sight he saw at the gates. The entire palace was in ruins. Demons of many shapes and sizes were running about attacking anyone the came across. He fought his way into a corner where he saw Mikageishi and Sakura hiding behind some fallen stones.  
  
"Sesshomaru! You are alive." Sakura said, "Mikageishi is badly wounded. The palace has fallen, we need to get out of here!"  
  
"My pups, they slaughtered my mates and my pups."  
  
"I know, Mikageishi, but we have to get out of here. Do not let my son, your father's sacrifice go in vain." Sakura said trying to calm Mikageishi.  
  
"Where is Murasaki?"  
  
"I do not know, nephew. We tried to look for her, but we did not find her."  
  
"I will clear a way for you to get off of the grounds, then I must find Murasaki." Sesshomaru said as he began killing lesser demons left and right. Once Mikageishi and Sakura were outside the grounds among some trees, he fled back inside.  
  
"Murasaki!" He screamed as he fought and searched. He was horrified when he found the remains of Midori, her daughters-in-law and the pups. Their bodies were still huddled in the corner where they tried to defend themselves. He saw no sign of Murasaki.  
  
He yelled for her once more when he heard a scream. ........................  
  
Sesshomaru was thrashing around, making it difficult for Murasaki to try and align his arm properly. Nintashiro put all of his strength into holding his father still. Kagome held Sesshomaru's head with one hand while trying to wipe the sweat from his brow with the other.   
  
"Murasaki!" Sesshomaru shouted desperately in his sleep, "Where are you? Midori, oh no. Murasaki!"  
  
"I think he is dreaming about the destruction of Teisetsu Palace. Keep him as still as you can. I almost have his arm in place." .........................  
  
Sesshomaru found Murasaki cornered near one of the garden walls by a mantis mononoke. It slashed its razor claws and tried to bite her with its mandible. Seshomeru looked on the ground and saw Inuteitoku's sword. He rolled as another oni tried to sneak up on him. he grabbed the sword and started slashing at the oni.   
  
Suddenly, a light came from behind him. At first, he thought it was fire from another demon. He ducked and the light hit the oni, disintegrating it. Sesshomaru whirled around to see Murasaki, wide eyed and shaking. Her palms were facing outward. Just like the oni, the mononoke had been disintegrated.  
  
She stared for a moment at Sesshomaru and ran into his arms.  
  
"You came for me," she cried, "Even after you know what I am, you still came for me."  
  
He scooped her up and carried her through the carnage. More demons attacked as they neared the front gates. Sesshomaru placed Murasaki down and told her to run. Instead, she held out her palms before a group of demons rushing them. The same light he had seen before flowed from her hands and disintegrated the demons. Her strength faltered and she fainted.  
  
"Miko?" Sesshomaru said to himself as he picked her back up and rushed out the gates.   
  
They met Sakura and Mikageishi in the woods. They ran and hid for several days before the horns from Inutaitio's army were heard. It was too late. All Inutaitio could do was bury the dead. 

................................  
  
Sesshomaru stopped thrashing. Murasaki got his arm in its proper place and began to wrap it with strips she tore off of the bloody piece of silk. She used her healing powers to make sure the arm attached itself. Nintashiro aided in stopping the rest of the bleeding.   
  
"Now all we can do is wait. If no infection sets in, he should be fine."  
  
Kagome cleaned up around the shrine and went outside to tell everyone of the progress.  
  
"How is Sesshomaru sama?"  
  
"Murasaki says that he should be alright, Jaken. We just have to wait for it to heal."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said, "She should have left him like he was. He deserved it."  
  
"You would not say that Inuyasha if you saw what I saw in there. He was in agony. I would wish that on no one, not even him."  
  
"Kagome, do you think Sesshomaru will forgive Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. "Rin and me have been talking. I think Rin makes a good friend, even if Jaken doesn't like the idea."  
  
"I do not know, Shippo. We will have to see when he wakes up. Where are Sango and Miroku?"  
  
"They took the girl back to the village. They said they would be back later."  
  
"Alright. Stay out here just a little longer. I know it is starting to get dark, but I have to help clean up the rest of the mess in there."  
  
"Mother, is there any way we can insure that it will heal properly?" Kagome heard Nintashiro say as she walked back into the shrine.  
  
"There is one way," Kagome said," You are his son, so you should be able to use Tensaiga in the wound. It is worth a try."  
  
"I will, thank you Kagome."  
  
Nintashiro unsheathed Tensaiga and placed the blade on the place where his father's arm was re-attached. The sword glowed a faint blue.   
  
Murasaki looked and saw Sesshomaru flex and relax his left hand. She slowly unwrapped the bindings. His arm had a faint scar, but otherwise looked like it had never been severed.  
  
"Should you let him wake up now?" Nintashiro asked as he sheathed Tensaiga.   
  
"No, lets get the shrine cleaned, him dressed, and let everyone else back in before we wake him."  
  
"Alright," Both Kagome and Nintashiro said in unison as they went to work.

.......................  
  
Notes:  
  
Teisetsu (tye-SET-soo)- chastity  
  
Inuteitoku (IN-oo TAY-toe-koo)- demon General  
  
Midori (MEE-door-ree)- green  
  
shinro (SHin-row)- bridegroom  
  
Mikageishi (MIK-kah-geh eesh-ee)- granite  
  
Kurumi (KOO-roo-mee)- chestnut  
  
Oribu (OH-ree-boo)- olive  
  
hakama (HA-kah-maa)- wide legged pants  
  
Hana (Ha-na)- blossom- likely a knickname.  
  
mononoke- an incect demon.  
  
Please review. 


	10. Learning Nobility

Learning Nobility  
  
Sesshomaru relaxed into a pleasant dream among the many nightmares. He was on the jouney back to his father's palace with Murasaki, Sakura and Mikageishi. Mikageishi was quiet. His thoughts were still clouded with the sight of his mates and pups.   
  
Sesshomaru refused to look at his cousin and sulk. His eyes wandered to the shape of Murasaki on her horse. She was a vision. He hoped that as soon as they got to Inutaitio's summer palace, his father would allow them to mate.   
  
His hope was not fulfilled. Inutaitio sent Murasaki away to be trained in controlling her Miko powers. Sesshomaru was heartbroken, but was contented to know she was probably safer in the monastery.  
  
"Father, how long will my bride be away?"  
  
"Until she learns her lessons well, and you start acting like a male befitting your station." Inutaitio replied coldly, "Mikageishi told me how shamefully you acted while at my nephew's palace. Sneaking around, showing emotion when taking punishment. Inuteitoku should have beaten you harder."  
  
"Father, if Inuteitoku did beat me any harder, he would have killed me. The scars I have still have yet to heal." Sesshomaru said. exasperated at his father's reprimand.  
  
"I see that you have yet to learn the lesson. You must show no emotion. You must be stoic of face and manner, no matter what your mind and body feel. Any twinge can be fatal. Do not forget we are still at war."  
  
"Yes, father."  
  
"Starting tomorrow, you will note every time you have shown shameless emotion in public, especially among servants and lessers. Also, note whenever you remain stoic, even among your equals and peers. You will receive lashes whenever you loose your composure, but the lashes will lessen with every show of composure. Do not try to cheat. I will know it. That will earn you more lashes. Am I clear?"  
  
"Yes father."  
  
"Very well, you may go."  
  
After meeting with his father, he disobeyed one more time. He knew he would be caned severely, but he had to see her just one more time before she was sent to the monastery.  
  
"Murasaki," he whispered as he slowly snuck into the dimly lit room.   
  
Murasaki was asleep. He sat and watched, her for many moments before he went to her and nuzzled her neck. He may not be able to give her a courtship mark, but he was not going to let her go without an affection mark. He slowly left the room.  
  
Sesshomaru's mind whirled. Images of the twenty years from the time she was sent away to the day she returned, whirled past in rapid succession.   
  
He remembered the canings, and when he was self disciplined enough for them to stop.   
  
He remembered his father taking two new mates, one a youkai, one a human. He remembered the birth of his brother, Inuyasha.   
  
He remembered Inutaitio sending his human mate away for her protection.   
  
He remembered killing his father's youkai mate when he found she was an enemy spy. His father's grief made him swear that he would never trust a youkai female ever again.  
  
He remembered Inuyasha and his step-mother's return.  
  
Then, Murasaki returned.  
  
She had grown more beautiful in her time away. She was no longer a thin, clumsy, beautiful female child. Murasaki was a full grown, goddess-like vision.   
  
At first, Murasaki ignored Sesshomaru. She kept herself perfectly composed and her eyes lowered. She spoke only when spoken to. She only spoke freely when her brother bid her, and never in mixed company.  
  
Sesshomaru remembered listening to the idle gossip of the females from the other side of a screen. Her laughter was melodic. Her singing and playing of the dulcimer were heavenly. He wanted to see her face, to see her smile.  
  
A week after her return, Sesshomaru handed Inutaitio his emotion journal.  
  
"Sesshomaru? What is this?"  
  
"It is time for you to begin caning me again. I have been showing emotion and sneaking around. I want to be able to talk to Murasaki. I want to see her face, and her smile."  
  
"No, you are well disciplined already. All males go through a loss of composure near the one they are to mate. It is the one loss of composure that is permitted. You are nearly thirty seven. It is about time for you to properly court her. Remember, you are still not allowed to touch her in any manner. She is still not allowed to speak to you , unless I or Mikageishi give her leave to speak. You are never to be together unless there is a chaperone. It can be a servant, but neither of you may speak if a lesser is the chaperone. In those cases, you may use this to convey your heart to her. "  
  
Inutaitio handed a silk purse and motioned him to open it, "A flute, father?"  
  
"The male courtship flute. Murasaki has been given the female flute. I will teach you the song that will combine with her song to create a blessed harmony."  
  
"Thank you, father."  
  
I have also have had a kekkon staff prepared, for your wedding. It is called Saiminjutsu. Mind your manners. Keep your composure, and the staff will be given sooner."  
  
##########  
  
Once the shrine was cleaned and Sesshomaru was properly dressed again. Murasaki had everyone sit down. Kagome brought in the food.  
  
"Wait until Sesshomaru wakes to start eating!" Murasaki scolded Nintashiro and Inuyasha as they grabbed for the food.  
  
Murasaki concentrated. Sesshomaru let out a slight groan and opened his eyes. He stared at Murasaki a moment then grabbed Murasaki by the throat with his left hand.  
  
"How dare you put me asleep without permission," He said stoically, "You are a noble born female, you should know better."  
  
"Father! No!"  
  
Sesshomaru turned his eyes to those in the room then turned back to Murasaki. He did not want to kill her, but she needed to remember her place. He glanced at his arm and let Murasaki go.  
  
He studied the reattached arm. He showed no emotion outwardly, but inwardly he was elated.  
  
"A wedding gift for you, my mate." Murasaki said quietly.  
  
"There is no finer gift, other than the birth of a son. How is it possible? The path to my father's grave was forever sealed when Inuyasha took Tetsusaiga."  
  
"You must thank your father. I prayed to him to allow me to retrieve your arm. As it was meant to originally be, Saiminjutsu opened the portal. I was to open it when Inuyasha found a suitable bride. You see, your father made Tetsusaiga to be your brother's kekkon sword. I was surprised he had the sword and no mate. Only a female could pull the sword from the throne."  
  
"What!" Kagome exclaimed," You mean it was not the just the fact that I was human but the fact that I was female that allowed me to draw the sword from the throne!?"  
  
Nintashiro shook his head, "No wonder you smell like his intended. You are, technically, already engaged."  
  
Kagome turned several shades of red. "Lets eat, before it gets too cold."  
  
"I refuse to eat in such company." Sesshomaru stated.  
  
"Keep your emotions in check, my mate. You will only have to endure this one meal with your brother. This is a Bisan tree. You know the dangers of strong negative emotions on it."  
  
"Very well, but I will speak no more until he and his are gone."  
  
##########  
  
As soon as everyone was asleep, Murasaki and Sesshomaru went outside to talk.  
  
"Where will you go now, Sesshomaru?"  
  
"I am on a quest, to destroy a monster more vile than my brother."  
  
"Your brother is not vile, he is just untrained. He has been away from court since he was very young."  
  
"That is only partially true. He and his retainers went to the summer palace after the attack on the winter palace. They nearly froze getting there. He was raised in the summer palace. Father taught him his duty, but his mother had too much influence over him. She spoiled him. When his mother died, he rebelled against any training or discipline. When father ordered us both to the front, he turned tail and ran away. He is a coward. His cowardice is partially what got our father killed."  
  
"I see. He has told me none of this."  
  
"He is too cowardly to admit his mistake. Only recently, since he allied himself with those humans has he shown any shred of courage."  
  
"Do you wish Nintashiro and me to stay here?"  
  
"No, I want you to go to the summer palace. I have servants there who can train my son. I would also feel better if you had someone with you when our new pup is born. It will be safer there. I am certain that Naraku knows where this place is. You are in danger here."  
  
"What about the shrine?"  
  
"Use your ears. There is another bisan courting the tree. It will accept her if you are no longer here. Leave the bisan tree to a new mate."  
  
"I suppose you are right."  
  
"I will stay out here and watch. The sleep you made me take has left me restless. You need to rest. We leave in the morning."  
  
"You are going after Naraku?"  
  
"Yes. He had wounded my honor. Before you found me, he tried to kill Nintashiro. I will not tolerate it."  
  
"I will be ready to leave in the morning. What should I tell Inuyasha?"  
  
"Nothing. We should be gone before they wake. Let him find his own way. I only stay my hand this time for your sake. He will not escape his dishonor much longer. I am patient."  
  
##########  
  
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	11. Talk and Spells

**Chapter 11: Talk and Spells**

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Murasaki gathered up her things as she watched Inuyasha and Kagome sleep. She made a smirk as she walked between the two as the slept.

She bent down and placed her index fingers on Kagome and Inuyasha foreheads making sure they both stayed asleep. Likewise she made sure Shippo was also deep in sleep.

Murasaki was glad that Sesshomaru had summoned his two headed horse and sent Rin and Jaken ahead. She felt leery at her mate and son waiting outside while she did what she needed to do, but she had no choice.

First, Murasaki licked Kagome's neck. She made a slight nibble then touched the mark with her staff, causing the mark to completely disappear.

She did the same with Inuyasha's neck.

_"I Know Sesshomaru will be angry if he knew what I was doing, but he will understand as soon as our pups come."_

She touched Saiminjutsu to the handle of Tetsusaiga . She smiled as Saiminjutsu took on a pale blue glow. With the head of the staff, Murasaki touched Kagome's brow.

Saiminjutsu glowed brighter, making it look more like it was made from a sapphire than one of Inutaitio's fangs.

_"Good, now they are properly betrothed. Neither heart will stray from the other. No matter the obstacle."_

Murasaki stared at Saiminjutsu for several moments. Even though her spell was complete, the staff still looked like a jewel. The light had dimmed from it, but the luster had not.

_"This was not supposed to happen. Did I do something wrong with my spell?"_

Within Murasaki's own mind, a voice spoke. _"Ah, daughter, you have finally found the power of your Saiminjutsu."_

"Father?" Murasaki whispered aloud. "But I believed that the staff was made from Inutaitio's fang."

_"It was made of two fangs, wound together. One from Inutaitio, one from Inuteitoku. We wanted to help guide you. When the power of Saiminjutsu is used, it becomes as a jewel. Do not be afraid. We are always with you."_

As the staff transformed back to its former state, Murasaki realized that the voice in the staff was not just of her father, but of her great uncle as well.

Murasaki reached her finger over to rouse Kagome. There was one more thing left to say before she left with Sesshomaru and Nintashiro.

"Um, huh? What is the matter, Murasaki?"

"Nothing. I am leaving with my son and my mate in a few moments for the summer palace."

"Leaving?"

"I have ordered Tomoaki to stay here until you and Inuyasha are away and safe. The shrine tree is being courted by a lady bisan. I must let him have her. It is the least I can do to repay his kindness."

"Oh, I see."

"One other thing, and listen very carefully. No matter how it may upset Inuyasha, you and he must come to the Summer Palace in six months, just before I give birth. It is very important."

"Why?"

"The gift I gave to Sesshomaru had a price. If you are both not there for the birth of my pups, there may be consequences."

Kagome sat straight up. "What kind of consequences? Oh my god, you didn't did you?"

Murasaki took a deep breath and hung her head.

Kagome blinked a couple of times. "You did. You love him so much that you are sacrificing your own life? All for just his arm?"

"My life has no meaning without him. That is why when my brother, Mikageishi found me here many years ago, I refused to leave. In order to retrieve the arm, I promised the spirit of Inutaitio that I would help heal the rift between those two. If I can not resolve some of their differences once my pups are born, my life is forfeit."

"Why? Why did you have to go to such drastic measures?"

"It was the only way I could get the arm from Inuyasha's keeping."

"You are a fool, Murasaki."

"I have been a fool far too long to change my ways. Once at the Summer Palace, I will send for my brother. Mikageishi looked after Inuyasha, from a distance, for many years. He will not let those two hot heads kill each other. I wholeheartedly believe that Sesshomaru loves his brother deeply. He just can not give up the hurt and horror surrounding his beloved mother's death. Sesshomaru never forgave his father for reaching Teisetsu Palace too late to save his mother or my family. Sesshomaru adored his mother beyond measure. He resented his father more for sending me away for twenty years to perfect my magic. Then he believed that Inuyasha replaced him in his father's heart. And, I must admit, Sesshomaru has a bad habit of holding a grudge longer than it needs to be held."

"I will do what I can to be there."

"Thank You, Kagome."

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"What took you so long, my mate?"

"I had some spells to perform to protect the bisan tree. They archaic and time consuming."

"I would have guessed your skill would have made such spells easier to perform."

"My Lord, I may have spent twenty years in a monastery perfecting my skills and nearly sixty years here, but some spells still take time to perform properly."

"I see you have spent too much time here. You need to remember your manners when speaking to your husband."

"I apologies, My Lord."

"Hmm. Let us go. Do you remember the transportation spell?"

"Of course."

"Nintashiro, do you know the spell?"

"Yes father."

"Then follow me. We go to the Summer Place."

"Does the palace have a name, Father?"

"Yes. I call it, Shibasho Palace"

"A fitting name, father."

Sparkling clouds formed around Sesshomaru, Nintashiro and Murasaki's feet.

Sesshomaru flew first with Nintashiro and Murasaki close behind.

"Mother, have you ever been to Shibasho Palace?"

"Not since I was a child. I suspect your father has made many improvements. Otherwise he would not have renamed it."

"What was it called before?"

"Yosai Juyona. It was more of a place to seek refuge during the great demon wars. Now be quiet. It is unseemly for the Prince of the Northern Lands to converse during such a journey."

"Yes mother."

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Inuyasha shook his head a couple of times before he awoke. He had the strangest, most erotic dream he had ever had. He had to quietly leave the shrine to clean up before Kagome or Shippo discovered his embarrassing situation.

He made his way to the small pool at the bottom of a small waterfall. Nintashiro had shown him the place days before, but he felt too uneasy about leaving Kagome and Murasaki by themselves.

Now that Murasaki was gone, and he needed to clean his clothes badly. He felt a bath in the supposed healing waters would not be a bad idea.

_"That dream seemed so real. I could smell her scent, I could feel the warmth of her body. Bakka! I had better stop thinking like that before I make a bigger mess!"_

He took off his clothes and rinsed them out before he sank into the warm, mineral pool.

"Ah, now this feels really good. No wonder Murasaki chose this spot to settle down."

"Squawk! Lord Inuyasha?"

"Argh!" Inuyasha splashed a couple of times and reached for Tetsusaiga. He looked to see that the intruder was only Tomoaki.

"Bakka! I could have killed you just now! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I was not aware I was sneaking."

"Fine, well just leave me to my bath and go guard Kagome will ya?"

"I will do so, but the Naraku is coming. I saw his hornets as I flew out of my nest."

"Why didn't you say so!" Inuyasha jumped out of the shallow pool."

"Um, I will handle the insects for now. It looks like you need to soak a few more minutes, Lord Inuyasha." Tomoaki cocked his head and looked at the state of Inuyasha's manhood.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Inuyasha sat back down in the pool and waited for Tomoaki to leave before pulling on his wet clothes and heading for the bisan tree.

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Kagome stretched and purred. She had the most wonderful, embarrassing dream.

She had often dreamed of what it would be like to kiss Inuyasha, but in the dream she just woke from, it went much further.

Kagome wondered if her face was still red. She could not fathom why she felt so embarrassed and yet, not.

"Uhh, Kagome, are you alright? Your face is all flushed. Are you running a fever?"

"No Shippo, I'm fine, really. I just had a very silly dream."

"What kind of silly dream?"

"Um, well..."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha burst into the shrine. At first he was going to ask her to hurry, because Naraku was coming, but as he looked into her eyes, the feverish feeling he had upon waking started invading his thoughts again.

Kagome's face turned a little more red as she watched Inuyasha straighten his hakima.

"Um Hum, Kagome. We need to get out of here. Tomoaki saw Naraku, or one of those stupid puppets of his headed this way. I don't doubt he has help."

"Alright. I am ready. How about you Shippo?"

"Lets go!"

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"You have betrayed me Tomoaki." The Naraku puppet rose up to the branch where the tengu had his nest.

"I do as I wish. I betray who I wish. I serve whom I wish. None can control a tengu."

"What a terrible father you are. You know I hold your chicks in order to keep your... cooperation."

"My chicks! How dare you speak of my chicks. You promised to spare my mate, you did not. My chicks are dead. Their spirits are with the Blue goddess. She protects their souls with her golden naginata now. You have nothing to wager in this game anymore."

Tomoaki pulled a dagger and threw it, slicing the puppet in two, shattering the illusion.

"Coward can not play his own board. He sends his toys to move the pieces. Squawk! He will never win if he does not intend to play. The rules are the rules. Bent, the rules can be, but broken, never. I serve a better one, for now."

A young man with a long black braid walked into the copse below the tree. He clapped his hands and smiled. "Well done Tomoaki. It has been ages since I have seen you. So right, the game must be played by the player. Care for a game of go before we travel?"

"Bankotsu! It was said that you were dead!"

"Was, that is the word. " Bankotsu pulled his huge sword, Banryuu, off of his back and swung it to clear away some brush. "Thanks to the shikon jewel, I am back among the living, mostly."

"I am so overjoyed! The tricks I played with you and your brothers gave me the most joy, squawk! Best we show that Naraku how to play, our way."

"So true. He was responsible for our resurrection, but he thought he could control us. He thought wrong."

Tomoaki squawked loudly and laughed as he flew down to meet his old friend. "No one, demon or god, can control those who trained among the tengu. So does Banryuu thirst for blood? My swords are hidden close by. I wish a bloody game. My days are filled with the boredom of demon intrigues."

Bankotsu sheathed his sword across his back and gave a hearty laugh. "What did the demon doll have to say about chicks? Don't tell me you settled down while I was gone?"

"Not exactly. I found a female trickier than me. She raised two nest full before this. In the end, I was the trickier one. She was stuck home until they left the nest, then I was sure she lay more quickly. I taught my older chicks well. Yet, they still do not know all of my tricks."

Bankotsu laughed even harder. "Never let a female get the best of you! Ha! Now that is the Tomoaki I know. Get your bloodletters and come with me. We have plenty of game to chase."

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"The village is on fire!" Kagome yelled as Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga.

Shippo hid in some nearby trees as Inuyasha and Kagome went to aid Sango and Miroku fight off the soldiers that were raiding Tomi Village.

"Inuyasha! Kagome! Get out of here! This is a diversion. I saw a couple of the Shichinintai run into the forest!" Sango shouted as she cut down a group of mounted bandits chasing some of the stragglers that had failed to follow Miroku to safety.

Miroku was herding villagers into some caves among the rocks that surrounded the village.

"Bakka! They are too late! My cousin is away already!"

Kagome stood back and continued to shoot her arrows at the rogues attacking the village. She was amazed at how much more accurate her arrows had become. More so, she was surprised at how much she enjoyed shooting them. It was more than pure enjoyment. She craved the carnage she was causing.

Shippo ran to Kagome. "Kagome, what is the matter with you?"

Kagome simply looked at Shippo and growled. Her eyes had turned blood red and as she smiled small fangs formed on her top and bottom canines.

"Uh, Oh. Inuyasha! Get over here!"

Kagome kicked Shippo aside and continued to fire off her arrows. Her bow began to take on a strange blue glow as she kept firing.

Kagome had run out of regular arrows, but somehow, the bow was producing arrows on its own.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted again. Seeing Inuyasha ignore his shouts, he called for Miroku. "Help! Something is wrong with Kagome!"

Miroku looked over and gasped. He ran immediately to Kagome. He stood in front of her to try and get her to stop firing off the arrows.

Kagome growled and sidestepped Miroku and kept firing. Hideous laughter escaped her lips.

Miroku watched as the arrows appeared in her bow out of nowhere. "Shippo! Grab her! If she keeps using her life force to create arrows, she will die!"

Shippo jumped Kagome from behind as Miroku jumped at her from the front.

Miroku managed to get the bow out of her hands.

Kagome growled, clawed and bit at Miroku, trying to get her bow back.

Shippo held fast to Kagome's shoulders. He shouted in her ear and kicked her back as hard as he felt he could without hurting her.

"What in the hell are you doing to Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted as he finished with the last of the raiders. He sheathed his sword and ran towards the monk.

Kagome jerked Miroku aside, nearly pulling his arm from its socket. She stared and growled at Inuyasha.

She reached up and pulled Shippo off of her and tossed the boy aside.

Sango barely was able to catch Shippo before he slammed into a nearby tree.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome in stunned silence.

Kagome ran and threw her arms around Inuyasha. Her teeth sank lightly into his neck before she came to her senses.

"Kagome. Kagome, what happened to you?" Inuyasha breathed out in bewilderment. "You were acting like a demon."

"Huh?" Kagome sank to the ground. She was dizzy and felt wildly sick. "I was just firing arrows at the bandits when everything slowed down. "

Inuyasha set Kagome on the ground and looked her over. She had returned to normal.

"Kagome. Do you have demon blood?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that, Inuyasha? Of course I don't have demon blood!"

"Then how in the hell did you grow red eyes and fangs!"

"I What?"

"It is true, Kagome." Miroku rubbed his sore arm. "You took on the aspect of a demon."

"You were able to create arrows with your life force. I have seen a few demons do that before." Sango added.

"I don't know what happened. It all seemed like a dream. It stopped as soon as I hugged Inuyasha."

"You did more than hug." Inuyasha pulled back the hair to show the small bite marks on his neck. "And, I do not like it one bit. It looks and smells too much like a mating mark!"

Kagome turned red. "A, a mating mark?"

"If you think this changes anything you are wrong!"

"Inuyasha, calm down. There has to be some reasonable explanation for this."

"I don't want a mate right now! We have Naraku, the Shichinintai, and my stupid brother to deal with. I have no need for a wife or pups yet!"

"Wife! Pups! Whoa! I am way too young to get married!"

"Then why in the hell did you bite me like that?"

"Inuyasha, SIT!"

"Ow!"

"There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. We had better find a place to rest. I am sure the villagers would not mind if we rested in the caves.

"No way Miroku. We have a long way to go. We still have yet to find Naraku's castle or the Shichinintai's hideout. It is better we get going."

Sango bent down to Kagome and felt her head. "You don't have a fever, but you are sweating , and you are white as a ghost. Humans, even mikos as powerful as you are, can not be firing off phantom arrows without paying a toll."

"Phantom arrows?"

"Yes. Arrows materialized in your bow once your supply ran out."

"Will you two get off your butts and come on. I want to be far from here when the sun goes down."

"Inuyasha! Can't you see Kagome can barely keep her head up?"

"Feh. Alright. Get on my back, Kagome. I will carry you. Miroku. Tell those humans to come out of their caves. "

"You do not want to help with the repairs to the village?"

Sango put an arm on Miroku's shoulder. "I have a feeling we will cause more trouble if we stay. The Shichinintai are after us, not a group of poor villagers."

"I suppose you are right. Lets go."

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Author's Notes:

Shibasho- place of poetry

Yosai Juyona- important forteress.

I finally got back to this one! I hope you like the chapter! Forgive the 8's the dang HR is goofed up on this site AGAIN!

Please review.


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